Tales of Evangelion
by redemption2
Summary: Chapter 9 is here! Action,adventure,drama,and something no one expected. If you liked Chapter 6, you'll love this! New author profile update too, please examine.
1. Default Chapter

Tales of Evangelion  
  
A crossover between Neon Genesis Evangelion and Tales of Symphonia. I own the rights to none of these products.  
  
Prologue  
  
It was a normal summer day like any other, and I was surfing the web. What I found overjoyed me. Evangelion 2 the video game had been secretly released in the US today, surprising everyone. I had my eye on this game for a while. I rushed out to the nearest game store to buy it, not paying attention to what system it was for.  
  
I opened the package and grabbed the disk, not even daring to read the instructions. I popped open my GameCube, and pulled out my Tales of Symphonia disk which I was playing. I had it saved at a very good spot before, fortunately. I fit the disk in, closed the lid and turned on the power. The big G-cube spun and gave me an error message. INCOMPATIBLE DISK. "What? Incompatible?" I reset the game, but it did the same thing. I looked at the package the disk came in, it was a PS2 game. I slammed my controller on the ground. "Dammit!" It pressed some buttons on impact, and a second error message came up. POSSIBLE SAVE FILE CORRUPTION, TEST ON GAME. "Uh-oh! I don't like the sound of that." I turned off the power and quickly switched game disks back to Symphonia to make sure everything was all right with my save. I loaded up the data, and began to move around on the field. My party launched up on the Riehards and flew. When I flew over a small island, I was surprised to see a cutscene, considering there aren't supposed to be any on the field maps. What I saw awed me. This is the story of the game.  
  
--&==  
  
A man with long blonde hair floated above a large chamber with his wings. He looked down at the half-elf far below and the scientists around him. He said, "Prepare to insert the evolved Cruxius Crystal."  
  
"Aye, Lord." A scientist replied. He attached a red orb onto a mechanical plunger. The half-elf was strapped onto a board, and it tilted up, giving the plunger a perfect shot at his chest.  
  
The floating man spoke down to him, "Leliel, if this operation is successful, you will become Seraphim like me. Do you desire this?"  
  
Leliel answered nervously, "Yes, my Lord."  
  
"If it fails, you will lose what you are and become a monster. If so, you will be sent on a mission to break one of the three seals on the World. Do you understand this?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"Do you still wish to continue?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then proceed."  
  
A technician pushed a button on the machine, and the Cruxius Crystal was forced into Leliel's body. He cried out, "For the glory of Lord Yggdrassil and the ascension of half-elves!"  
  
The room went silent. The Crystal inside the half-elf glowed red, and pulsated into black. He cried out in pain as it expanded and snapped the restraints. He began to float. The man above frowned. The half-elf below him became swallowed into a ball of black and white stripes. A shadow expanded under him farther than his form. He screamed with the power of 1,000 screams.  
  
"Enough of this, Leliel! The test has failed, now off with you to your mission!" He points at the demonic ball and shadow, and it becomes translucent, and then fades away.  
  
A red haired man walks up behind the blonde man as he floats to a platform. "I believe that was unwise, Lord Yggdrassil. We should have learned of his new powers before he was sent into battle."  
  
"It doesn't matter. We need to test out every Cruxius Crystal combination to increase our numbers so our kind can ascend and wreak our revenge upon the human filth." The blond man replied.  
  
"I was once human. Does that mean I'm like that filth?"  
  
"No, you are my second in command. You are far better then them."  
  
"Why do you insist on sending the failures to the original world? The others we sent have failed."  
  
"The original world has the most mana, we must break one of the three seals it has so the mana can flow freely again. Then we can make full use of our powers and punish them all."  
  
"I see. Forgive me for questioning your judgment, Lord Yggdrassil."  
  
"You have it. Come, the other two Seraphim await us." Yggdrassil flew away.  
  
"I shall come shortly." He turned to look at the empty space where Leliel once was. "Be careful. I feel as if this will be your greatest challenge yet." He turned away and wings appeared on his back. He flew away.  
  
--&==  
  
In Tokyo-3, the normal routine continued for the people of the city. That is, before a shadow expanded and a black and white sphere appeared above the city. The 12th Angel had arrived.  
  
--&==  
  
Units 00 and 02 stood around the black shadow, ready to cast their AT Fields as the bombers prepare to drop their N2 mines into the shadow in an attempt to recover Unit 01. Before the operation started, the shadow began to crack.  
  
Maya called out from the remote command center, "Power readings are off the scale!"  
  
Ritsuko was stunned, "But we haven't done anything yet!"  
  
Misato let out a sliver of hope, "Could it be, Shinji?"  
  
"Impossible, the Eva's power cells must be at 0."  
  
Even so, the shadow continued to crack, revealing a deep orange-red color beneath. The ball lost all of its white color as two monstrous hands began to tear it open.  
  
The purple Evangelion's head emerged from the opening and it began to howl. Rei looked on with an emotionless face, while Asuka's brow quivered with fear. "My God, am I piloting a thing like that?"  
  
The Evangelion completed the splitting of the sphere, and it landed on the broken shadow. The cracks began to spread beyond the boundaries of the shadow, and they glowed more brightly orange then before.  
  
Maya turned to Ritsuko, "Something's wrong! The power level is still increasing!"  
  
Ritsuko was speechless, but Misato said what she wanted to. "You mean that thing isn't dead?"  
  
Ritsuko finally found words, "It may be soon anyway. It might be trying to self-destruct."  
  
Misato turned pale, "Oh God!" She contacted the pilots. "Rei, Asuka! The Angel's going to self-destruct! Get out of there, now!"  
  
Rei answered calmly as she dashed towards the middle, "I will not leave Ikari-kun there."  
  
Asuka returned, "There's no way I'm letting her get the glory for this!" Her red Eva dove in to the minefield of orange cracks. They both reached the purple Eva at the same time and began grab and drag it to safety. The Angel's shadow started to glow, and it cast a whiteish-green wall around itself.  
  
Asuka cried out, "Misato! We're surrounded!" An earthquake began, which knocked all three Evas to their knees.  
  
Maya paled and yelled, "Critical mass! It's overloading!"  
  
Misato did the only thing she could do, "Eject the plugs, now!" The signal was sent, and the Evas' plugs launched out of the back and flew towards the opposite end of the border. Suddenly, the entire inside of the entrapped circle glowed. Then there was nothing. No Angel, no Evas, no entry plugs, no buildings, nothing. The Angel had disappeared, and the only thing left of where it was is perfectly flat dirt.  
  
--&==  
  
Lloyd and company flew over the seas of Tethe'-alla. A bright flash appeared in the sky above them.  
  
"Yow! That's bright!" He said.  
  
"It sure is pretty!" Collette answered.  
  
Raine went into scholar mode, "It looks almost like the light from the oracle. Fascinating!"  
  
Sheena winced and shielded her eyes against the glare of the light, "I don't like it."  
  
Zelos took that as a wide open door, "Oh come on, Sheena. In this light you look even more beautiful than normal."  
  
Presea and Regal remained the calm members of the group while Genis spoke up, "Look! Something's coming!"  
  
Indeed, three small meteors fell to the right of their position, but didn't explode when they hit the earth. A large one fell to the left, and it created a large impact explosion. The light in the sky disappeared.  
  
Regal finally spoke, "What kind of weapon could do this?"  
  
Presea held her hand to her chest, "It is not a weapon. I do not know what it is, but I sense it has something to do with the Cruxius Crystals."  
  
"You felt it too, Presea?" Collette asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Lloyd, this could be important! We might be able to find out more about Cruxius!"  
  
"No, we should pact the two remaining Summon Spirits on this side to break the Mana flow." Sheena reminded them of their mission.  
  
Two selections appeared on the screen:  
  
Ignore it, let's keep moving.  
  
Let's check it out.  
  
The selection was made and Lloyd said, "Let's check it out. Collette may be right, and there could be people hurt."  
  
Sheena sighed, "Fine, but I'm doing this under protest."  
  
Genis was next, "Which way should we go? To where the three small things landed or to where the big boomer hit?"  
  
Lloyd grinned, "I like explosions! Let's go left!"  
  
Zelos pulled his Rieard in front of Lloyd's. "Woah woah woah! That's too dangerous! We can't go there. All that dust kicked up will make it hard to see anything, plus who knows what else happened in that explosion!"  
  
Raine nodded, "It's true. Toxic chemicals, radioactivity, even rare diseases can be brought out by such an impact. It would be safer for us to investigate when the smoke clears. Why not turn right and check the other fallen stars?"  
  
"Yeah, come on Lloyd. Let's go right. I want to make sure that my little hunnies don't get hurt." Zelos the charmer said  
  
Lloyd grumbled, "Fine. Let's head to the right." The Riehards turned and began to fly to a relatively large island, where three white cylinders with the numbers 00, 01, and 02 engraved on them still smoked.

(Author's Note: Welcome to the world of Tales of Evangelion. This will be a long and ongoing project. It started out when I hit a roadblock in finishing the unfinished fic, Eva R: Redemption, to burn off the energy and come back to it with a fresh mind. This has turned into a full blown project now. I hope you enjoy it. Also, if you're wondering where this starts in ToS, it's just after Sheena makes a pact with Gnome in Tethe'-alla on the first disk.)


	2. ToE CH1

Tales of Evangelion: Chapter 1  
  
Mysterious World, Mysterious People

GAINAX owns Eva, NAMCO owns ToS, and I own my right to idiocy.  
  
The 02 pod opened up slowly. The LCL spilled out, along with the red-headed pilot as she collapsed onto the ground. She coughed out the LCL in her lungs, and she made an effort to look at her surroundings. It was just an island, no trees and no people, just grass. 'Where the hell am I?' No answer came other than the release valve of the other two plugs. Shinji flopped out of his face first, hocked out his LCL, and lost consciousness. 'What did that Angel do to us? I can hardly keep awake myself.' Rei was the most graceful of the three. She actually climbed out of the plug, returning the LCL she borrowed into it, but when she touched the ground, her legs went numb and she fell to her knees. 'Even Wondergirl got the stuffing knocked out of her. How fitting for a doll.'  
  
Rei began to gasp repeatedly. Asuka blinked as she took notice. "Ayanami? Are you okay?"  
  
"Can't...breathe! Air...thin!"  
  
'She's lost it.' Asuka thought, 'I'm breathing fine, even though I'm completely exhausted.' "Jeez, Rei. Just chill out. You'll get used to it like you always do."  
  
In a few moments, Rei's wheezing slowed. She remained conscious. She looked down to the boy lying on the ground. "Ikari-kun?"  
  
"He'll be out for a while most likely. Remember, he did just tear himself out of an Angel. If you're as tired as I am, he got a bad dose of it too."  
  
"Situation?"  
  
"Not too good. As far as I can tell, no one is around on this island. Most likely we'll have to set up transponders and wait to be rescued."  
  
"So survival training until then."  
  
"No, duh."  
  
Rei turned back to her plug. "We must retrieve our emergency supplies. I will also get Ikari-kun's. It would be wise to get yours as well."  
  
"Hey! Don't tell me what to do! I don't take orders from a doll!"  
  
Rei was tempted to say, "I'm not a doll." But she kept quiet as she went back into her plug. Asuka did the same in her own, but the kit was wedged under the seat, so it took a while for her to remove it. Once she came out with the pack in hand, she found Rei sitting next to Shinji with two packs.  
  
'I'd like to know how she's so fast even though she doesn't have enough energy to walk.'  
  
Rei looked at her. "I will tend to Ikari-kun."  
  
'She seems rather protective of him. I hope that's not love blossoming, because that would be a match made in hell.' "I'll set up the transponder."  
  
Asuka pulled out a tripod, opened it up, screwed a small cylinder to it, and unfolded a miniature satellite dish on top of it. She flipped the switch. Nothing happened. She did it a few more times. Still nothing. 'Damn US made crap.' She swapped out the batteries and tried again. Nothing happened. "Hey, Wondergirl! Toss me over your transponder. Mine isn't working." She repeated the same procedure with the new equipment sent over to her. Still nothing.  
  
"Is that one useless as well?" Rei asked.  
  
"About as useless as Shinji in school."  
  
Shinji groaned as he opened his eyes, "I heard that. Ungh! Someone tell the guy with the jackhammer to lay off."  
  
Asuka crawled over to the two other pilots and looked down upon the boy. "Well, good morning. Sleep well, baka?"  
  
"Not particularly."  
  
"Well now that you're up, you can fix us breakfast." At the mention of food, Shinji's stomach growled.  
  
"Have some emergency kit rations. I'm too exhausted to make anything. And why haven't I woken up in a hospital? Hasn't Rescue found us yet?"  
  
"I do not believe they can. Our transponders will not work." Rei answered as she unwrapped an energy bar for him.  
  
He took it. "Thanks. They should be able to track us through our plug-suits, well, at least yours. Mine's dead." He took a bite of the bar and swallowed hard, "God, this tastes like crap."  
  
"You were in that Angel for a long time, baka. How'd you break free anyway?" Asuka joined.  
  
"It was a desire...I wanted to see you again. I wanted to see everyone again, one last time." He finished his bar and Rei opened up some water without him asking. He sat up and sipped. "How long have I been out anyway?"  
  
"Well, let me check." Asuka pulled the screen on the back of her wrist close to her face and pressed a button on her plugsuit. She pressed it again, then a few more times. "What the hell? Mine can't be dead too!"  
  
Rei tested hers as well. "As is mine. Either our batteries in the plug-suits ran out and the transponders are defective, or there is something else at work in this place."  
  
Asuka took a bite of her own bar of food and she winced at the taste, "We need to find a way out of here."  
  
Shinji looked into the sky. He blinked for a second. "We just might. Look up there!"  
  
The other two looked to the heavens and a lone object twinkled above them in the sky far above. Asuka asked, "Is that a plane?"  
  
Rei answered, "It is most probable."  
  
Asuka dove for her pack and pulled out a flare gun. She loaded it, took aim, and fired. A trail of smoke lit up as the flare flew a few hundred feet into the air. "Please see it, please see it, please see it!"  
  
The twinkling object changed course. "I believe it saw it, Pilot Soryu."  
  
"Yes!" Shinji smiled. His smile soon turned into a fearful frown as the object closed in on them. Shinji was able to make out translucent wings on a humanoid form. He scrambled for the gun in his kit and loaded it. Rei went wide eyed at the sight of the object coming towards them. Asuka became petrified.  
  
"This is the kind of help we DON'T need!" Asuka finally said.  
  
"Could this be an Angel?" Rei asked.  
  
"I don't like this." Shinji said.  
  
The human landed some feet away. He had red hair, and instead of floating towards them on his wings, he walked. He wore a silvery-red armor, and had a sword attached to his belt. "Interesting signal. I did not know any technology like that existed." He walked towards the children. Shinji unhooked the safety and cocked the gun. "Do you..."  
  
Shinji snapped, "DAMNED ANGEL!!" His Eva training kicked in as he fired three shots perfectly on target.  
  
The man pulled out his sword. "Guardian!" A yellow and green ball of light surrounded him and it took the bullets' impacts.  
  
Asuka cried, "Is that an AT Field!?"  
  
Rei answered, "I have never seen such a thing before."  
  
The ball of energy dissipated and the man spoke. "Advanced magitechnology. Where did you children come from?"  
  
"We're not telling you anything, Seraphim Angel!" Shinji hissed.  
  
"So you have heard of me and my kind. That is odd in and of itself. I know someone who would be quite interested in meeting you. Follow me."  
  
"We're not going anywhere with you!"  
  
"I do not wish to harm you, so..."  
  
"KRATOS!" The red-haired man turned around at the mention of his name. Eight people jump off of the Riehards as they recede into the Wing Pack.  
  
Asuka whispered first, "Who are these guys?"  
  
"They seem to be quite a motley crew, don't they, Asuka?" Shinji returned in the same tone.  
  
The one with brown hair drew the two swords at his hips. "Kratos, you traitorous swine! What are you doing to those people?"  
  
"Lloyd. I should have known you'd be here. I was trying to help them."  
  
'That guy can't be much older than I am, and yet he's holding those swords like a pro would!' Shinji thought.  
  
"Like we buy that! You were probably going to take advantage of those cute hunnies over there and toss that stick-boy aside like a piece of driftwood." A prettyboy red-head smiled at the girls.  
  
'I hate the guy already and I don't even know his name.' Asuka put a cross look on her face.  
  
"You are untrustworthy, Kratos. We will defend these children if you do not desist." A small pink haired girl pulled out a very large axe while remaining stoic.  
  
'This girl reminds me of myself.' Rei kept her emotionless stare.  
  
"There is no need for that. I have no wish to fight you today." Kratos sheathed his sword.  
  
"Still can't bring yourself to admit that you won't be able to win against me?" Lloyd still had his swords poised.  
  
Kratos walked slowly past him as the others made room for his passage. "You still lack the skills to defeat me. But I do think you will be able to take care of these newcomers. I will leave them with you for now. Watch over them for me. Farewell." Kratos launched up into the sky.  
  
All parties put away their weapons as the man flew away. A young blonde almost made Shinji pull out his gun again when she opened up some red and purple wings and flew towards them, but Rei stopped his hand. "No, Ikari. This one is different."  
  
"Is everyone all right?" The girl said. "I'm sorry about all the commotion, but we've had a bit of history with Kratos. We'll talk about that some other time."  
  
A tall blue-gray haired woman rushed past them towards the entry plugs. If the pilots had looked hard enough, then they would have seen pink hearts rising from the top of her head. "This is amazing! I've never seen magitechnology like this before, or even heard about! Oxygenated Liquid envelopment, holographic imaging, it's beautiful!"  
  
A sweatdrop appeared on Asuka's head as well as a boy with the same color hair as the woman. "Hey lady, that stuff is top secret. I'd appreciate if you didn't look at our entry-plugs too closely." Asuka spoke, but the woman still raved on.  
  
"Sorry about her. She gets this way sometimes." The blue-haired boy spoke.  
  
"The sun is starting to set, perhaps we should set up camp." A very tall blue haired man in handcuffs stopped in front of them.  
  
'This guy gives me the creeps.' Shinji thought.  
  
They began to set up camp.  
  
The sun had set, and the campfire had been lit by an interesting little item on Lloyd's finger. He called it the Sorcerer's Ring. All eleven people gathered around the fire in a circle. The air was thick with anticipation, but no one wished to speak. The blonde haired girl was the first to break the ice.  
  
"Those are some interesting outfits you have there. Are they the latest style?" Everyone but her flipped over on their faces in disbelief at her statement. They quickly recovered. "What?"  
  
"Collette! You ask them about their outfits before we even know their names?" Lloyd rolled his eyes at her.  
  
"Hehe. It was the only thing I could think of to say. But now that you mention it, we haven't been introduced at all. Sorry about that. My name's Collette. I'm the Chosen of Sylverant."  
  
"And you probably already figured out that my name's Lloyd. The baddest swordsman on two worlds, haha!"  
  
"By baddest, you mean the least skilled, of course." The blue-haired boy said.  
  
"HEY!"  
  
"I'm Genis, half-elf and resident brainiac of the younger crew."  
  
"I'm his older sister, Raine. I'm a professor at their school. I also love archeology." The blue-haired woman spoke.  
  
"She loves it to a fault." She slaped Genis upside the head. "OW!"  
  
"Where are my manners? I am Zelos Wilder, the Chosen of Tethe'-alla." The red-haired pretty-boy took a bow. "I would enjoy it very much to get to know you two lovely ladies more later."  
  
"Will you give it a rest already, Zelos? It's obvious that you can't get any woman in our group, so now you try for newcomers? You're pathetic. Ignore him if you can. I'm Sheena, the summoner." A black haired young lady spoke.  
  
"Can you blame me for trying?" Zelos responded.  
  
"Of course we can. You have failed in charming our group, and you still refuse to learn from your mistakes. I am Presea." The pink haired girl leaned on her giant axe.  
  
"Finally, I am Regal." The large man with blue hair and a serious look spoke up. "Forgive my appearance. I am not as dangerous as I look."  
  
Asuka said, "And the handcuffs?"  
  
"I bear these as the mark of murder which I once committed."  
  
"I've told you you don't have to keep them on, Regal. We've all committed murder here for our mission to save both worlds." Genis said.  
  
Asuka laughed, "So I guess we're all a bunch of murderers here."  
  
The night became silent in reflection. But soon Rei spoke up. "I am Rei Ayanami, pilot of Unit 00."  
  
Shinji sat with his legs pulled up to his chin. He shot glares at Collette and remained silent.  
  
"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, the best damn Evangelion pilot you've ever seen. I have exclusive rights to Unit 02. The idiot next to me is Shinji Ikari, pilot of Unit 01."  
  
The eight people of the group blinked. "Evangelions?" One of them asked.  
  
"You've never heard of Evangelions?"  
  
"I have studied every history and current event list in the worlds, and I have never heard mention of Evangelions. Just where are you people from anyway?" Raine said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"Tokyo-3."  
  
"Tokyo-3? You mean Meltokio don't you?" Sheena piped up.  
  
"No. Tokyo-3, the stronghold of man. The greatest defense against the Angels who attempt to destroy us." Rei interrupted.  
  
"Which world are you from?" Lloyd asked.  
  
"World? We're from Earth. Aren't you? I mean, this is Earth isn't it?" Asuka looked quizzical.  
  
"Actually no. This is Tethe'-alla. I'm from Sylverant."  
  
"Then how...?"  
  
"The twelfth." Shinji finally spoke.  
  
Presea asked, "I'm sorry?"  
  
"The twelfth Angel must have sent us here before it killed itself. But how? Why?"  
  
"Angel? Did you say Angel?" Collette suddenly got in Shinji's face, looking as sweet as ever. "What do you know about them? They could be related to the Cruxius Seraphim."  
  
"You should know, you're one of them. You've got wings."  
  
"Shinji!" Asuka hit him, "Sorry for his behavior, we've been battling Angels for nearly a year now. Our manners have sort of gone down the drain. Thanks for helping us against that Kratos guy before."  
  
"Ah, it's no problem." Lloyd said as Collette backed away to her original spot.  
  
"Travelers from a place called Earth, eh?" Zelos spoke. "Are all of the girls on your world as cute as you two?"  
  
"Back off, Casanova. We're not interested." Asuka shot at him. His face faulted.  
  
"So what are you three going to do now?" Raine interjected.  
  
"What do you mean?" Rei answered, sort of.  
  
"Well you're here, on Tethe'-alla, and you say you come from Earth, where apparently you're fighting some sort of war. Now that you're here, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I didn't really think of that." Asuka looked down.  
  
"We must return. The next Angel may appear soon, and without our ability to pilot Evangelions, our world may be lost."  
  
"That's sad. Tomorrow, we'll see if we can take you back to your world on the Riehards. Maybe we can take a trip through the rip between Tethe'-alla and Sylverant and find your world along the way." Lloyd said.  
  
"It may not be that simple, Lloyd." Genis spoke.  
  
"I know, I know, but we've got to try something!"  
  
"We'll need to take those plugs with us." Asuka thumbed her finger behind her.  
  
Zelos pulled out a small box. "No problem! We'll just use my Wing Pack." He opened it up and the plugs shrank and jumped inside. He then put it away.  
  
"Wow! We'll take three of those! Imagine on taking your Eva on the go, Shinji!" Asuka told the boy. He remained silent. "Shinji! Earth, I mean Tethe'-alla to Shinji! Anyone in there?"  
  
"What? Oh, sorry."  
  
"Why can't you pay attention once in a while?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Will you stop apologizing?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"That's enough already!"  
  
"Sor...."  
  
Lloyd burst out laughing. "He apologizes just like Collette! Anyway, why don't you join up with us for now? These worlds are dangerous, and you'll need protection if you want to go around here. Fortunately, we have some spare weapons. Take your pick."  
  
The eight members took out their spare weapons and laid them in front of the newcomers. Rei picked up one of Genis's Kendama. "This is a Kendama, correct?"  
  
"Yep. That's the Falling Star. It's a nice one." Genis answered. "It's rather difficult to use, I'm not...."  
  
She began to swing it professionally, letting the top ball on and off, and catching it again. "I used something similar to study hand-to-hand combat."  
  
"I...I'm stunned! Take it, Rei, it's yours."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Shinji picked up two Chakran. "What are these?"  
  
Collette answered, "Oh, those are some of my Chakran. That's the Ring Whirlwind."  
  
He put them down in disgust. "I'd better not. I could use something lightweight though. What's this?" He picks up two yellow cards.  
  
Sheena answered. "Those are my Lightning Seal cards. They're actually quite powerful, but you have to actually hit someone with it for it to take effect. Try it out. I'll let you keep them if you like them."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Sheena."  
  
Asuka walked back and forth between the axes and the daggers. "I'm proficient in both forms of combat, but I think I'll take this blue knife/dagger here."  
  
Zelos stood next to her, "Oh, that's the Ice Dagger. Good choice. Now a part of me will always be with you."  
  
"Keep it up and you'll lose some important parts." He backed away quickly.  
  
Raine spoke up, "We should all get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."  
  
They all went to sleep.  
  
"Shinji joined the party."  
  
"Shinji learned Shock Seal."  
  
"Shinji learned Seal Defense."  
  
"Shinji learned Drain Seal."  
  
"Rei joined the party."  
  
"Rei learned Quake."  
  
"Rei learned AT Protect."  
  
"Rei learned Double First Aid."  
  
"Asuka joined the party."  
  
"Asuka learned Flaming Drive."  
  
"Asuka learned Red Wind."  
  
"Asuka learned Demonic Thrust."  
  
Shinji woke with a start. Everyone else still slept, or seemed to sleep. He covered his mouth to muffle the scream his nightmare produced. It was the middle of the night. He got up and walked to an outcropping of rocks and felt the breeze. He sat down and put his knees to his chin and stared into the distance.  
  
'I never thought any of this was possible. Becoming a pilot of a giant robot, every day having your life risked, the world's fate in your hands. Your friends getting hurt. It's just too much sometimes. And now....' Shinji buried his face in his knees, 'and now I'm in a place that isn't even remotely familiar.'  
  
He heard a shuffle next to him and he looked up. Sheena had sat down next to him. "Hey kid, you okay?"  
  
"Aside from having my reality ripped to shreds, yes."  
  
"The stars are beautiful tonight. The constellations are perfectly aligned."  
  
"I don't recognize any of them. Do you think my world is out there somewhere?"  
  
"I have no clue."  
  
"So why are you up?"  
  
"I could ask you the same question. It was my shift on the night watch."  
  
"I see. I couldn't sleep."  
  
"You were in a war, right? Why would your leaders send kids to fight?"  
  
"Because we're the only ones that were capable of piloting an Evangelion. That's why we have to head back. The Angels keep attacking." The hairs on his neck bristled at the mention of the word.  
  
"You hate these Angels, don't you?"  
  
"I hate them second only to my Father."  
  
"Your father? Why do..."  
  
"Don't ask. Just don't ask."  
  
"Sorry." At this, Sheena paused. "You don't care much for Collette do you?"  
  
"I'd be lying if I said no. Something about her wings disturbs me. I was a hair away from killing her before."  
  
"She'll grow on you, like she does for everyone. Hell, I was sent to assassinate her, and now I'm on her side."  
  
"That was unexpected."  
  
"Heh, yeah. What do you think about the others?"  
  
"Well...it's nothing."  
  
"Do you realize that when you say that it usually means something's going on?"  
  
"Jeez, even in this world people know that? Grr."  
  
"So spill. I won't tell anyone. Be honest."  
  
"Lloyd seems to be the exact opposite of me, and I suppose that's a good thing, but he's a little on the headstrong side. That could spell trouble. It looks like Professor Raine keeps him and Genis in check. I really should find out more about this world from the Professor."  
  
"Her shift is next, if you want to talk to her then."  
  
"I will. As for Zelos...."  
  
"Ugh! I hate even hearing his name, and I have to travel with him."  
  
"He's got the charming exterior, but I think it's a front for a deeper wound he's trying to protect. I should know about this stuff, because I'm surrounded by it all the time. Regal on the other hand shows his pain outwardly, and it scares everyone."  
  
"He's actually more peaceful then you'd think. At first I didn't think he was capable of murder, then I saw how hard he can kick."  
  
"Presea's eyes are cold, and it closes off her heart."  
  
"You can thank the Cruxius Crystal embedded in her for that. A few weeks ago, she could barely speak, until Lloyd created a Key Crest for her. At least she's opening up, but she doesn't seem to realize that she's just a little girl sometimes."  
  
"Rei is like that too."  
  
Someone's footsteps came up behind them. Before either of them could jump around, Raine spoke. "Sheena, it's time for my watch. Get some rest."  
  
"No problem. See you in the morning Shinji." She stood up.  
  
"Thanks for listening." He said as she walked away. Raine took up the spot where the girl had sat before.  
  
"Can't sleep?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I understand. There's a lot going on in your mind. Even my half-elven mind wouldn't be able to take in everything that you've been exposed to all at once."  
  
"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell me about this land. If I know the story of it, maybe I can find a key to going home."  
  
"It's a long and painful story. Are you sure you don't want to get some sleep instead?"  
  
"I think I need to hear this."  
  
Raine began to speak about the legends of Mithos, Karlan, the Seals, and World Regeneration.  
  
The two girls of oddly colored hair slept facing each other on one side of the fire, or at least seemed to. After Sheena returned to her bed and began to snore, Rei spoke with her eyes closed.  
  
"You should be sleeping."  
  
"So should you." Presea said. Both girls opened their eyes as cold blue met cold red.  
  
"We are similar, you and I."  
  
"I noticed that as well."  
  
"What caused you to become like this?"  
  
"I was the victim of an experiment with the Cruxius Crystals. Lloyd released my personality by containing its power within a Key Crest, but I am afraid that this is all that is left of my personality. What caused you to become like this?"  
  
"Commander Ikari raised me to have few emotions, only the ones required to associate with others. Recently I have begun to lapse into some that I do not understand."  
  
"As have I. You were not raised this way though. Where is your Cruxius Crystal?"  
  
"I have none."  
  
"You indeed have one. I can sense it within you. It must not be visible."  
  
"That is impossible."  
  
"And yet it is true. If my theory is true, then we can expect great things from you, Rei Ayanami. Good night." Rei stared at the little girl as she fell asleep.  
  
Not realizing that Rei and Presea were awake, Asuka began to sneak around to talk to one of her new companions. Her sneaking brought her to Lloyd.  
  
"Hey Lloyd. You awake?" He didn't answer. "Lloyd, can I talk to you for a bit?" He flipped over and opened his mouth, instead of words there came a loud snore. "Pathetic."  
  
"He could sleep through a Desian raid." A voice came from behind her. She spun around and found Collette smiling and bobbing up and down.  
  
"You scared me. How did you get so close and not make a sound?"  
  
"My wings took care of that. I use them to move around at night sometimes, just so I don't wake the others."  
  
"That's very considerate of you. How'd you get your wings anyway?"  
  
"It was when I unlocked the first..." She put her head down and her voice faded. Her wings receded into her back.  
  
"Touchy subject? Fine. You don't have to tell me. We all have those, especially me."  
  
"What did you want to talk to Lloyd about?"  
  
"Shinji."  
  
"Is something wrong with him? I hope he's not sick."  
  
"I'm worried for your safety, Collette. Shinji doesn't like Angels, and if he gets suspicious to a certain point, I'm pretty sure he might try and kill you."  
  
"But I'm not an Angel. At least, I never truly became one."  
  
"I'm sensing that that's bordering on the rough subject line so I won't pry any further. But I was just worried about you."  
  
"Thanks, but I can take care of myself, you know."  
  
"I'm sure you can, Angel girl."  
  
"Speaking of him, where is Shinji anyway?" They looked around, and found him sitting on a ledge next to the Professor. "There he is. What's wrong with him, Asuka?"  
  
"He's a stupid, perverted introvert. He had a bad childhood, and that's left some big scars on him that irks me to no end. Most of the time he just sits in that position listening to his SDAT player. The rest of the time, he's either taking a verbal, and sometimes physical beating from me or apologizing for stuff he didn't do. He really gets on my nerves sometimes, and I'm his roommate."  
  
"I'm sorry, what's an SDAT?"  
  
"Oh, I guess you don't have that type of thing. It's a small box that plays different types of music depending on what is inside it. I'm sure he misses that thing right now. It's his prized possession, and now it's back on Earth. I wonder what he's going to do now?"  
  
"I feel sorry for him. I hope we'll become friends someday."  
  
"Maybe you will, if he ever comes out of that position he's in right now."  
  
"I don't know. Honestly, I think he looks kind of cute like that."  
  
"No way! You're crushing on Shinji?!"  
  
"Hehe. No I'm not. It's just that I can see him and me becoming the greatest of friends. There are only two crushings going on in this camp. One of them is Genis. He's got the hots for Presea."  
  
"That little half-elf has fallen for that mini-Rei? What are the worlds coming to?"  
  
"And Zelos is crushing on every girl in sight."  
  
"Ah yes, Zelos. Proof that woman is far superior to man."  
  
"Asuka, can I ask a favor of you?"  
  
"Sure. What is it?"  
  
"Our lives are in danger every single day. If I'm not in the fight, could you watch over Lloyd for me?"  
  
"If you're not in...sure, Collette. But it looks like there's a third crushing going on in this camp."  
  
Collette blushed at the statement, "Not at all. I'm just worried. Everyone seems to want a piece of him."  
  
"And you seem to want a different piece than the others." Asuka yawned, "I'm about to pass out, so I'll see you tomorrow morning." She began to walk away.  
  
"Ya, good night."  
  
After Asuka left, Collette stood over a sleeping Lloyd. "I wish I could tell you the truth, Lloyd. But I'm too afraid that it might hurt you. I can't tell you the truth about this body. But perhaps someone can help me, maybe even her."

(Author's Note: Well, here's the first real chapter. I know it's not much. The start of the plot will really be in like the 6th chapter, but I promise there'll be some excitement before then. Don't stop reading just yet.)


	3. ToE CH2

Tales of Evangelion CH2:  
  
The Ways of Symphonia

I don't own the rights to these products, but I do own a copy of ToS, but that doesn't count.  
  
Rei, Asuka, Collete, Sheena, Presea, and Regal woke with the rising of the sun. Raine and Shinji were still chatting on the ridge. Lloyd, Genis, and Zelos needed to be woken up. Presea and Regal rolled Lloyd out of bed, and Regal tapped Lloyd's head with his boot to rouse him. Collete found a Penguinist Quill in one of the travel bags, and she began to tickle Genis's nose. After a few bats away, Genis finally hit himself in the head and woke up. Zelos was the most stubborn, tossing and snoring when everyone pleaded for him to get up. Not even Asuka's raging voice would wake him.  
  
Zelos flipped over once again, and he wrapped his arms around Asuka's left leg. That was his first mistake. His second mistake was muttering in his sleep. "Come on, Asuka baby, let me show you how we do things on this side." Asuka's rage took over, and her right foot landed in his crotch, and he was sent flying. He landed next to Shinji and Raine, who looked down at the young man, rolling on the ground in pain, awake, but in pain.  
  
"So Sheena finally took it to him." Raine said.  
  
"No, that's Asuka's handiwork. I'd recognize it anywhere." Shinji smiled sadly.  
  
A ring appeared on the ground around Zelos. He began to speak. "Fffff...ffff...First Aid!" He glowed, and he healed slightly. The others walked up to him.  
  
"How'd he do that?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Anyone is able to cast magic spells." Raine said.  
  
"This still hurts like hell." Zelos squeaked.  
  
Asuka responded, "Serves you right for dreaming about me."  
  
"Hey, I can't control my dreams! Does anyone have any ice?"  
  
Genis pulled out his Kendama and began to bounce it as a ring appeared on the ground around him. "I'll take care of that. Icicle!" A piece of ice appeared out of nowhere. With a swing of the Kendama, Genis broke a piece off and handed it to Zelos.  
  
Zelos took it. "Thanks brat!"  
  
"Careful, or next time I'll summon the pointy end where it hurts."  
  
While Zelos healed, Shinji and Lloyd prepared breakfast. Everyone enjoyed the meal. "I'm impressed, Shinji. I thought I knew all the tricks to cooking around here. I guess some otherworldly recipes are always good. Don't tell him this, but you'd probably rival the Wonder Chef." Lloyd said.  
  
"Who?" Shinji responded.  
  
"Don't ask. He'll find us eventually. In the meantime, mind if I use your recipe?"  
  
"Sure, help yourself."  
  
"Lloyd was taught the recipe Curry Ramen."  
  
After everyone ate, they took down the camp. Shinji asked the inevitable question. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
"We'll fly out to the rip and try to pass through to your world." Lloyd smiled.  
  
"Not just yet. They need training." Raine piped up.  
  
"Training?" The three pilots echoed.  
  
"Sylverant and Tethe'-alla are dangerous worlds, with marauders and monsters loose around every turn. You three need to be taught how to fight alongside us."  
  
Shinji said, "Forgive me, but how are we supposed to learn this?"  
  
"By finding some monsters of course."  
  
"What kind of monsters are we talking about?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Giant potatoes, evil ladybugs, killer bunnies, cherry throwing gelatin, the whole works."  
  
"Will we be provided a demonstration of this before going into battle ourselves?" Rei asked.  
  
"You will. Lloyd, with your permission, I'd like to take over battle assignments for a while."  
  
"Sure, go right ahead. You're the Professor, so you know what's best when it comes to teaching."  
  
"Thank you. The assignments will be as follows. Zelos, Genis, Sheena, and myself. Let the lesson begin!"  
  
As they walked along the island, Raine explained how the battle system worked. "Your basic melee attacks are the norm. You use your weapons to smack, slash, etc. Your more powerful moves can be accessed by using your Technical Points. Different special attacks take different amounts of TP, and stronger attacks require more of it. If you run low on TP, you can either use an item to replenish yourself, or use a melee attack on an enemy. One hit equals one TP. At the end of a battle, you get a stronger recharge, and if you eat something, it will go up even more. Once in a while, you can ask some of your fellow fighters to use one of their special abilities to help you out. Certain creatures have weaknesses and resistances to different types of attacks. For instance, Insect creatures are weak against Ice, while Ice is weak against Fire. If you and your team collect enough hits, you will be able to begin a Unison Attack, where all four launch their special attacks without using TP. If you get two matching techniques, they will combine into a fifth attack at the end. Is this all sinking in?"  
  
"Barely. School is so boring after going to college." Asuka said.  
  
"I think I'm getting some of it." Shinji said.  
  
"All relevant data has been recorded." Rei said.  
  
"One more thing. You can block attacks too. A normal block will only work against physical attacks, but elemental attacks must be blocked by a technique that uses TP. Everyone has one." They stop in front of a big blob with grey eyes. "Here we go. Let's start out with these creatures." She steps forward, making contact with the blob.  
  
"Hmm. Not much of a specimen." Raine said, eyeing the two giant mantises and two large ladybugs. "Zelos, attack the first mantis. Sheena, take the second. Genis, you and I will take the ladybugs."  
  
Zelos drew his dagger and began to slash at the mantis. After three hits, it began to take a few bites out of him, but he raised his dagger to block. "Not a chance!"  
  
"Show them a special physical attack."  
  
"Demon Fang!" He swung his dagger near the ground and it created a stun wave that hit the mantis. "Light Spear!" He twirled around, rising upwards, giving two more cuts to the creature.  
  
"Magic Attack."  
  
Zelos pulled back and a ring formed around him. "Fireball!" Three glowing red balls launch from his hand towards the mantis. It falls to the ground.  
  
Sheena moves in armed with her Ice cards. She slaps them onto the second mantis's face, and it leaves a cold crystal cloud on impact. She does this multiple times before the creature decides to counterattack. "Seal Wall!" Cards make a wall around the girl as the attack gets absorbed. She continues the onslaught. "Drain Seal!" She recovers health from what was taken from the creature. She glows. "Hello, new attack! Pyre Pinion Seal!" Cards fly towards the creature from everywhere, and it takes a large hit. It gets knocked down.  
  
"Yes, you can also learn new attacks from using old ones enough times or in certain combinations."  
  
Genis became encircled as he bounced his kendama. "Chill out! Icicle!" A large hunk of ice hit the ladybug from below, and it fell to the ground.  
  
"Normally we Elves are magic users, so our attack power isn't as strong as humans, but we can still use melee attacks if necessary. Many of our magic attacks can hit multiple enemies at once."  
  
Raine became encircled as she held her staff horizontal. "Light! Photon!" The second ladybug became wrapped in orange light and it took some hits. Before the pulse dissipated, the bug disappeared.  
  
"That creature has been defeated. Everyone get a few more hits in!" All three jumped in and attacked the ladybug. Soon it was no more. "It's time! Zelos, begin the Unison Attack!"  
  
He closed in and took a small swipe at a mantis. "Boo-yah!"  
  
Asuka said, "'Boo-yah?' No one's said that since 2004."  
  
Zelos somersaulted in the air with his blade out, "Tempest!"  
  
Lava began to boil up from the ground, "Eruption!" Genis said.  
  
Sheena stuck a card to the creature and it exploded into other cards. "Pyre Seal!"  
  
Raine was the last to go. "Photon!"  
  
Both Raine and Zelos began to glow. Zelos asked, "Are we ready?"  
  
Zelos glowed with the Photon wrap, as Raine said, "Now Zelos!"  
  
He somersaulted through the air, inflicting some major damage on the creature, "Photon Tempest!"  
  
The Unison Attack completed, and the creature disappeared. Genis used an Eruption to get rid of the last one. The battle completed. Genis spoke, "All talk, no action!"  
  
Back in the field zone, the three students applauded as the triumphant heroes returned.  
  
"That was incredible!" Shinji exclaimed.  
  
"I could do twice as good as Zelos." Asuka stated.  
  
"The creatures seemed rather odd." Rei observed.  
  
"I agree that was an easy battle. Sometimes it is much harder, and you have to work much closer together to stun the creature from attacking." Raine said. "Are you three ready to tackle the next batch?"  
  
"Us? Alone? I'm not so sure about that Professor." Shinji looked nervous.  
  
"You won't be alone. I'll be there to back you up. My specialty is medical magic, so I can heal you and increase your status."  
  
"Sounds good to me! Let's bring 'em on!" Asuka jumped up.  
  
Rei calmly stood up, "Let us begin."  
  
"Professor, wait!" Lloyd realized something, "They don't have Exspheres! They'll have problems fighting!"  
  
"Have you forgotten that I do not possess an Exsphere?" Regal asked.  
  
"This is different, Regal. You're a fully grown man. We're only kids."  
  
"This is just self-defense training. If we find some Exspheres along the way, we'll give them to them. Right now, I believe that they will be fine against those four ladybugs I've picked out. Rei, Shinji, Asuka, you're with me in this battle. Let's proceed." Raine interrupted,  
  
Asuka was the first to see the four hovering bugs. "These things are supposed to be dangerous?" She rushed in, only to be knocked down as a beetle tackled her.  
  
Shinji ran up to the beetle that hit her. "Ha, hey, ta!" His lightning cards sent a charge through the bug. "Shock Seal!" He slapped both cards on the bug at the same time and defibrillated it. It countered with a tackle. "Seal Defense!" A shield formed out of the cards, then it dissipated. After a few more hits, Shinji started to tingle. "Is this a new power? Card Barrage!" Shinji shot cards at the bug, and it forced it backwards. He closed in and finished it off. "Drain Seal!" He recovered power with the last hit the bug could take.  
  
Asuka was mad when she got up. In fact, she was glowing red. A bug attacked her and she didn't even flinch. Instead, she turned on the bug. She jumped and took two slices of the beetle with her ice dagger. She pulled back and a red circle formed around her. "Flaming Drive!" A pillar of fire raced towards the beetle. It faltered, and she closed in. She called out "Deomonic Thrust!" as her blade created a shockwave on the ground, and the dagger shot forward. The bug counterattacked. "Not this time! Red Wind!" A red blanket swiped in front of her, flipping the creature around and stunning it. Suddenly she felt really, really good. "And now for something completely different! Chilling Drive!" An ice pillar flowed towards the bug. Because of its weakness, the bug was no more.  
  
Rei began to move forward and slowly swung the kendama around and hit the beetle. The beetle backed up and began to charge her. "AT Protect." An orange octagon stopped the attack. She thought better of the close attack method. She pulled back and a brown ring surrounded her.  
  
While Rei concentrated, Raine added a little magic to the mix herself. "Maybe this will help! Accuteness!" A shockwave spread throughout the field, and the others were surrounded with red waves for a moment. They felt more powerful.  
  
Rei finished her spell. "Quake." The earth opened up under the flying beetle. Since it was airborne, nothing happened until the fissure slammed shut, spraying rock upwards into the beetle. Rei and Shinji got tackled by the last two bugs. A white ring appeared around Rei. "You need help. Double First Aid." Both Shinji and Rei recovered energy.  
  
Raine called out, "You've gotten enough hits. Start the Unison Attack."  
  
Asuka obeyed, closing in on the weakest beetle and attacking it. "Lets get it started, shall we? Demonic Thrust!" She created a shockwave and pushed her dagger into the bug.  
  
"Drain Seal!" Shinji's cards rotated around the bug, giving him more power.  
  
"Quake." Rei let the fissure open up and it damaged the beetle severely.  
  
"Photon!" Raine surrounded the beetle in light.  
  
Shinji and Asuka glowed. Shinji said, "Don't leave it incomplete!"  
  
Asuka thrust her dagger into the beetle and seals swirled around it, creating suction. "Draining Thrust!" And with that the beetle was no more.  
  
The last beetle attacked Asuka. Her life was low, so Shinji played cat and mouse with it to help her. Raine was enveloped in a white ring. "Help is on the way!"  
  
Rei suddenly felt a pulsating emerge in her chest. "Such power!" She put her hands together, and closed her eyes. She began to charge her energy.  
  
"Nurse!" Raine called forth four medics that ran around, healing the entire party. She looked at Rei, who was still charging. 'What in the worlds is she doing?'  
  
Rei spoke aloud. "From the darkness of the night to the brightness of the moon. From all of the heavenly bodies in the night sky. I beg for you to help us now. Starburst!" A five pointed star landed on the final beetle and exploded into quicksilver. The beetle was destroyed.  
  
The battle was over. "Well, we survived." Shinji said.  
  
"That was the most fun I've had in a while." Asuka said.  
  
"There is nothing more to complete here." Rei said.  
  
"Well done class, you all get an A." Raine said.  
  
"Excellent!" The three children said in unison.  
  
As the battlers returned to the field, the others were slack jawed. Lloyd was the first to speak. "How'd you learn Demonic Thrust? I've been trying to master that technique for weeks!"  
  
Zelos was next, "And those elemental Drive attacks were like nothing I've ever seen!"  
  
Sheena fanned herself with her cards, "I'm impressed. You could probably match me, Shinji. You learned an attack I had never even heard of before."  
  
"The way you handled that kendama magic was awesome." Genis said. "It's like you had done it your whole life!"  
  
Collette was nearly speechless. "R...R...Rei! You PRAYED! You asked for power from the heavens! How? I thought I was the only one."  
  
"I noticed that too. You gripped your chest before you began. What was that, Rei?" Raine asked.  
  
Presea understood. "It's her Cruxius Crystal. It's manifesting itself."  
  
Rei nodded, "I did not think so before, but I believe I do have something inside of me. Perhaps this Cruxius Crystal you speak of."  
  
Lloyd asked the unanswerable, "But how? It needs to be applied to the skin like an Exsphere. Hers is on the inside and it works. Does that mean that she also has a Key Crest in there with it?"  
  
Rei responded, "Unknown."  
  
Zelos put an arm around Rei's shoulder. "Well lovely lady, that doesn't matter anyway. Welcome to the club."  
  
"Club?" Rei attempted to look confused.  
  
Collette pieced it together for her. "You came from another world, you prayed, you used magic, and you have a Cruxius Crystal. You probably didn't know it, but you're the Earth's Chosen, just like Zelos and I are for our respective worlds."  
  
Rei's eyes widened with surprise, "I am a Chosen?" She looked down to the young Presea who answered her look with a small smile.

(Author's Note: Didn't expect that once coming did you? Hey, every world in ToS has a Chosen, why not earth? And Rei does seem to be miss miracle, so who would be a better choice?)


	4. ToE CH3

Tales of Evangelion CH3  
  
The Departure

Once again, I don't own the rights to Eva or ToS.  
  
Lunch was rather normal, with sandwiches for everyone. As they all rested from the battles, everyone seemed to have their attention on Rei. Her new position as Earth's Chosen confused her to no end.  
  
"Just what does a Chosen do?"  
  
"The Chosen is to go on a mission to unlock the altars of mana, the life force of a planet, whenever the planet is in decline. That's called the Regeneration of the World." Collette described.  
  
"I've never had to go through that because Tethe'-alla has never had trouble. It works out for me, since all my popularity as the Chosen gets me all the girls." No need to wonder who that was.  
  
"I was sent to carry out that journey, because Sylvarant was dying. During my final trial, they revealed that it was all just a front for Cruxius's gains. The others saved me. Now we're here, in Tethe'-alla to try and find a way to save both worlds." Collette again.  
  
"The Regeneration of the World? Earth has no such ritual." Rei stated.  
  
"No Journey of Regeneration? Doesn't your world go into decline?" Raine butted in.  
  
"Yes, there is some decline, economically and population decline, but no one has had to do what you are describing. There are not even fictions of such things."  
  
"Unbelievable! Your world must have an incredible source of mana. Or perhaps your world doesn't fight with another for mana. Or maybe...."  
  
As Raine's conversation trailed on, Lloyd got bored. He looked around and his eyes landed on the child, Shinji Ikari. Shinji was again curled in his depressed position, and he tried to listen intently, but to no avail. Lloyd tossed a pebble at him. Shinji shrugged it off. Lloyd tried two more times, but he was unresponsive. 'What happened to him back on Earth? It's like he doesn't care about anything and is used to being teased.' He crawled over to the new kid and placed a hand on his shoulder. Shinji finally looked at him. Lloyd said nothing, but he gave a look to Shinji that said 'Can I see you over there for a second?' Shinji nodded as he understood. They both stood up and went to a small rock outcropping overlooking the camp.  
  
When they arrived, Shinji sat down and dangled his feet over the edge. He looked down, and judged the distance between there and the ground.  
  
"Thinking of jumping?" Lloyd finally said.  
  
Shinji snapped out of his stupor, "Wha...what? N...Nno!"  
  
"Hey, I won't stop you. You've obviously got big problems in that small head of yours. If you want to take the easy way out, go ahead. Better yet, make it honorable and use one of my swords instead."  
  
"No! I wouldn't...it's just that...."  
  
Lloyd picked the boy up by the collar of his plugsuit. "Get one thing straight kid! You can't afford to feel sorry for yourself around here. You do and you'll be killed, that's almost a certainty. If I put you in the game and you're called upon to fight, I need to know that I can count on you to do your very best and more."  
  
"I always do try my best, even if I hate doing it." Shinji looked down at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact.  
  
Lloyd put the young man down again. "What happened to you? Just what has this "Angel War" done to you?"  
  
"Eva."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I hate piloting that monstrosity of a defense machine. It may have ripped from me the last ounce of humanity left after my father abandoned me when my mother died."  
  
"I'm sorry, I ..."  
  
"Then he called me back nearly a year ago, and demanded that I pilot Eva. He used me, the coldhearted bastard."  
  
"Summon Spirits of both worlds! How did you survive?"  
  
"Eva gave me a purpose. They needed me to fight, so I did because they told me to. You feel everything that creation feels when you are inside it. On my first mission, I had my head pierced, and I took my first look into the inhuman eye of the thing I was piloting. I've had wriggling tentacles driven through me, been boiled alive, skewered by a giant set of teeth, been buried with my feet dangling up, burned by acid, and been caught in two very large explosions. Yet I still pilot."  
  
"I had no idea. I'm so sorry."  
  
"The last Angel was the worst. I was stuck inside it for over 16 hours, alone. Then my life support cut out. I...I think I died. But then mother appeared to me. The next thing I knew, I was here. If I ever get back, I'll probably pilot again if they ask me to." 'Why am I telling him all this?'  
  
"Did you kill those Angels?"  
  
"Along with countless helpless lives as the battles raged on."  
  
"I know how that feels. I was banished from Iselia because what I had done caused others to be killed. I even killed the kindest person I had ever met. I've taken out hundreds of murderous Desians and Marauders, but in doing so, I've become a murderer as well. Regal bears his shame every day. And Sheena, she blames herself for the death of half of her village's population because she couldn't make a pact with Summon Spirit Volt the first time. You're not alone in this."  
  
"I hated it, but I liked it at the same time. Everything about Eva was familiar, and I like familiar. Now that I'm here, nothing is familiar, and I hate everything about that. Maybe it's actually a good thing. I'm away from that accursed Evangelion, and this place is completely different. I could start anew. But if I don't go back, the Earth will be destroyed, along with my friends. I'm so confused. I don't know what to think anymore."  
  
"I know what you mean. You know that Kratos you met before? He was one of our original team. He deceived us the entire time. Then that whole Church of Martel and the Desian fiasco turned everything upside-down. It's hard to know who you can trust."  
  
"Then why are you trusting me?"  
  
"At first, I didn't trust you as far as I could throw you. But just now, you trusted me with your biggest problem, and I think the least I can do is return that. You following me?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"Feeling a little better now?"  
  
"Still stuck on what I'm going to do, but yes. Is that what you wanted to talk about the entire time?"  
  
Lloyd shook his head, "No. It's about Rei. I'm worried about her."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"She's acting like Presea. No, scratch that. She's worse."  
  
"She's always been like that. That's normal for her."  
  
"I don't think so. If Presea is right and she does have a Crystal inside her, it may kill her eventually. I've seen what an unprotected Exsphere can do to a person. I'm scared to find out what a Cruxius Crystal will do. I was able to help Collette and Presea in creating a Key Crest for their Crystals. I don't know if it will help at all, but I want to make a Key Crest for Rei too. Everyone is different, and therefore have different attributes in their Key Crests. You seem to know about her more than anyone here. I'd like you to help me make it."  
  
"That thing on the back of your hand is an Exsphere, right? And that's a Key Crest around it? If Rei has it inside her, how are we going to get a Key Crest on it?"  
  
"We can only hope it'll come to the surface sometime soon. At that time, we've got to contain it in the Key Crest. I want to be ready. Give me a hand, would you?"  
  
Shinji nodded, "Sure. I don't want to see Ayanami hurt either. What do we do?"  
  
"Well first, I've got some Inhibitor Ore here, and that'll..." Their conversation continued.  
  
"Well there you two are. We were starting to think we'd have to go out looking for you." Sheena said as she tapped her foot.  
  
"Where'd you run off to?" Asuka glared at Shinji and he flinched.  
  
"We...um...well...you see...." Shinji staggered.  
  
"I needed Shinji's help in creating some welcoming gifts. I could have asked Presea, but she seemed busy with your conversation." Lloyd covered for him.  
  
"You made greeting gifts? For us?" Asuka looked amazed.  
  
"Why not? I mean, it's not often three people of our age drop out of the sky."  
  
"It is not necessary to give us anything." Rei entered the conversation.  
  
"I beg to differ. All three of you will need these." Lloyd handed Asuka a piece of metal with a circular hole in it. It had mysterious etchings, and depictions of strength and fire. It had a hinged clasp on it with a small leather strap to it. "That's a Key Crest. It goes on the back of your hand. If we ever find an Exsphere for you, this is crucial for containing its power."  
  
Asuka put it on her right hand and examined her new piece of jewelry. "I like it. You made this yourself, Lloyd?"  
  
Lloyd shook his head, "Not completely. I just did the detail work. When your dad's a dwarf, you kind of pick up on that stuff. Shinji actually was the one that shaped the inhibitor ore."  
  
Shinji held up his own Key Crest. Inscribed on it were symbols of music, cooking, and kindness. "It was nothing really."  
  
"Yeah right, you took one piece of Inhibitor Ore and made it into three Key Crest pieces. I would have only been able to make one. You didn't waste a single pebble of it. I am quite impressed."  
  
"Heh, thanks. I've got a thing with arts and crafts."  
  
"Hey, Lloyd, I know you're bad at math, but you can't count either? I only see two Key Crests." Genis rubbed his nose.  
  
"Correct as usual. We just need one more thing to finish the last one." Lloyd pulled a long blue ribbon from the central pack. "We didn't have enough leather to finish it up, so we'll use this instead. Heads up, Shinji."  
  
Shinji caught the tossed ribbon and turned his back to the others. He finished the final Key Crest and returned. "Ta-da!" He held up a metallic necklace with a spherical hole in it. Etched in it were symbols for stoicism, bravery, and intellect. There was no clasp, just two loops at the end of the necklace. Inserted in them was the ribbon. "Rei, if what Presea says is true, you need this desperately. This will contain the Crystal's power. Try it on."  
  
'What the heck? Compared to her Crest, mine is hardly anything. Why does Wondergirl get all the nice stuff?' Asuka complained in her head.  
  
Zelos whistled, "Wow! That's really some nice handiwork. That'll get the favor of the girls alright. I've taught you well."  
  
Rei took the Crest and examined it. "What do I do with this?"  
  
Shinji slapped his forehead, "Oh right, you have no experience with jewelry. Here, let me put it on for you." He walked over to her and behind her. He whispered in her ear as he pulled the ribbon ends behind her. "This is also an apology present from me, for that mishap at your apartment one day. I wanted to make up for seeing you naked. So, this is my present to make it up to you." He tied the bow tight. The ribbon wrapped around her neck, bringing the metal necklace up to her chest, and the bow was made a little large for the size of her neck. The rest of the long ribbon dangled down to her waist. Shinji spoke normally again, "Not too tight?" Rei shook her head. "Good, then it's all done." He stepped back to his original place.  
  
"Pretty." Collette admired.  
  
"The craftsmanship is amazing. Excellent depiction of the symbols, Lloyd." Raine agreed.  
  
"I'm almost jealous." Sheena cocked her head.  
  
"I could give you something if you want, Sheena." Zelos grinned.  
  
"Stop looking at me like that! Anything that you have, I don't want!" She snapped back.  
  
Rei stood there, blushing and dumbfounded. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to react in this kind of situation."  
  
"Are you happy?" Presea walked up to her and stared into her eyes.  
  
"I suppose this could be happiness."  
  
"Then why don't you try smiling?" Shinji and Presea stared at each other after they said this at the same time. A large smile appeared on the girl's face.  
  
"Shinji gained the title of 'Master Craftsman.'"  
  
"Rei gained the title of 'Endangered Chosen.'"  
  
The Wing Pack opened up, and the Riehards popped out. Regal said, "This may be a problem. Some of us may have to triple up on riding, considering that we only have four Reihards. This will slow us considerably."  
  
"Then we'll have to distribute the weight more evenly, I suppose." Genis spoke up.  
  
"You won't have to worry about me. I can fly myself." Collette unfolded her wings.  
  
When she did so, Shinji gripped his cards. 'Calm down, Shinji. She's not an Angel. She's a human, changed by Cruxius. Now put the cards away.' With a deep breath, he did so.  
  
"You sure you'll be alright, Collette? We are going rather far." Lloyd tilted his head.  
  
"No problem."  
  
"Ok then, Collette's out of the equation. So what'll we do?"  
  
Zelos asked, "Well, how about we put the heaviest and lightest together. How much do you girls w..." He was cut off by an inscription card landing on his mouth.  
  
Sheena crossed her arms. "Never ask about a girl's weight."  
  
"Let's try this for now," Raine began a suggestion, "Sheena and Asuka will be on one. Shinji and Lloyd will be on another with me. Regal and Presea and Rei will ride another. Zelos and Genis will take the last Riehard."  
  
"Why do I have to ride with tall, red, and stupid?" Genis thumbed towards Zelos.  
  
"You're not exactly my number one choice either, pipsqueak!" Zelos snapped back.  
  
"Enough of that, you two. Genis, I could put Presea with Zelos instead." Raine closed her eyes and smiled.  
  
"On second thought, I'll ride with Zelos." Genis said quickly. With that, everyone mounted the Riehards.  
  
They flew slowly at first, but soon began to accelerate. Regal's Riehard was the slowest of the group, so all of them slowed to its pace, him leading the pack. Lloyd's was behind Regal's to the left. Collette was flying directly behind Regal next to Lloyd's Riehard, and to her right was Zelos's. Behind her was the fastest Riehard, Sheena's. They flew for a few minutes.  
  
Safer Skies?  
  
"Hey, Lloyd. I noticed that there aren't any creatures up here, is that normal?" Shinji asked him.  
  
"Yes actually. The sky is the safest place to be around here. Look over there." He pointed towards a large group of islands with fans attached to the bottom of them. "Those people have figured out a way to live up in the sky. That's the last refuge for half-elves, who are persecuted down below. I've got to say that the skies are the safest place to be."  
  
"That's not quite true, Lloyd." Raine said.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. Many of the flying creatures we have met cannot get up to this altitude, but the more dangerous ones can. There are some deadly dragons roaming the skies. We met some of them when we were rescuing Collette."  
  
"Oh. We'll that's kind of disturbing. But it's still safer than down below! Ha ha."  
  
They continued on. They passed a tower that raised higher than the clouds, farther than the eye could see.  
  
Fight or Flight  
  
"Sheena, what the heck is that thing?" Asuka asked her flying buddy.  
  
"That's the Tower of Salvation, another one of Cruxius's fronts. It's got some very powerful creatures guarding it. The one in Sylverant is where Collette almost lost her humanity."  
  
"I see." She stared at it for a second. "That's not what I wanted to ask at first. My real question is why do you walk around so much?"  
  
"I don't think I understand."  
  
"Well, you people walk around and fight monsters all the time, right? I don't see a single monster in the sky, so why do you walk everywhere?"  
  
"Fight or Flight question, eh? Have you ever heard of the saying, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?'"  
  
"Yeah, we have that saying in my world too."  
  
"We fight monsters to become more powerful, so as to make it easier to take out the big ones. We fight to get stronger. We only fly when we need to get around quickly."  
  
"I think I get it. I wish I could fight along side you, but your Exspheres give you the edge."  
  
"It's not fun and games you know. It's dangerous."  
  
"I doubt it's as dangerous as piloting an Eva, but I don't care. It's my life."  
  
'She is one twisted girl.'  
  
The crew turned east, to the Fujioi Mountains. Genis held a small map of Tethe'-alla. "One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three! One, two, three, four, five, six, sev..."  
  
"Hey, what are you doing back there, kid? I'm trying to concentrate on flying you know." Zelos complained.  
  
"I'm trying to determine if we can make the jump into the special rip by timing our velocities to landmarks."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"When we went through the rip the first time, we went in and out at very high speeds. If we aren't at that speed when we hit the rip, we'll probably be bounced back here. Agh, this isn't good. There's no way we can make it at this speed. We're just too slow. Hey, Lloyd, did you catch that?!"  
  
"Catch what?!" He yelled back.  
  
"We're too slow to make the jump!"  
  
"Well that's bad! Then how are we ever going to get back to Sylvarant?"  
  
"I told you guys once before!" Sheena called forward.  
  
"Told us what?!" Lloyd reciprocated.  
  
"The only way the Riehards can make it through the rip is to have them supercharged at a Renegade base!"  
  
"Couldn't we just ask Volt for some more juice?" Zelos called out.  
  
"You want to negotiate with that buzzing ball? Be my guest! Even so, it won't work. He's giving as much power as he can to the Riehards without hurting himself already!"  
  
"Do you mean to say we're all stuck here?!" Asuka yelled.  
  
"For the time being it appears so! I'm sure there's another way! Because whenever there is an entrance, there always is an exit!" Raine called out.  
  
"So what do we do in the meantime?!" Shinji asked over the roar of the engines.  
  
Lloyd looked around, "Hey! It's gone!"  
  
"What's gone?" Collette asked.  
  
"That big cloud of smoke, caused by that massive strike, remember?! It's gone!"  
  
"What massive strike?" Shinji asked.  
  
"Something fell from the sky before. Something big. It hit and just sent out a giant cloud of dust. We also saw three smaller things flying down as well. We followed them and we found you!"  
  
"You withheld information from us. You should have told us that something came out of the sky with us. If we had made the jump, we likely would have lost an important clue!" Rei spoke.  
  
"Forgetfulness is common to Lloyd. It would be wise to ignore that trait!" Presea answered.  
  
"Understood. We should investigate!" Rei commented.  
  
"All right! I wanted to check out the place first, but it was too dangerous to go to. Let's hit it!" Lloyd said as they all turned their vehicles towards the impact zone. They continued to fly on for a bit.  
  
How big was it?  
  
"Hey Raine! That thing that fell from the sky the same time as we did was big right?" Asuka asked.  
  
"Quite large indeed."  
  
"How big was it?"  
  
"It's hard to scale something like that. It was leaving a trail, and the distance between it and us were so far away it was hard to get a correct scale."  
  
"Ballpark estimate, if you please!"  
  
"But you see, all the different factors, variables, and velocities to calculate, it's imp..."  
  
"It was about the size of Altamaria Hotel." Regal interrupted her.  
  
"How big is that?" Shinji finally spoke.  
  
"It is one of the tallest buildings in Tethe'-alla next to the Coliseum."  
  
"So it is as tall as a building?" Rei inquired.  
  
"If not a bit larger."  
  
"Asuka, do you think it could be one of our mechas?" Shinji asked.  
  
"I sure hope so. I feel naked without my Eva around."  
  
All but Raine turned back to concentrating on flying towards the crater. 'How does Regal know about the size of Altamaria Hotel? Everytime we go in the city, he stays outside.'  
  
The group continued flying on. When they began to fly over the Eastern mainland, they saw the crater. Genis said, "Wow! That thing is huge! It makes my Gravity Well look like a speck!"  
  
Suddenly, Collette gripped her stomach. "No! Not now! AAAHHH!!" Her wings receded and her semi-conscious form plummeted.  
  
Lloyd quickly took notice. "COLLETTE!!"  
  
"SHEENA! DIVE NOW!" Asuka didn't have to tell her twice. She put the Riehard into a nosedive and accelerated to full throttle. They closed in on the falling girl, inching towards her as the ground began to get closer and closer. "Come on! Come on!" Asuka stretched out her hand towards the blonde, but she was too far away to grab her. She looked into the girl's glazed-over eyes. "COLLETTE! WAKE UP! YOU'VE GOT TO TRY AND REACH FOR ME!"  
  
Collette only whispered, "My death is the only way to save them."  
  
"COLLETTE! SNAP OUT OF IT!"  
  
"Perhaps I will meet my true parents. Remiel was a false father. Mother? Is that you I see before me?"  
  
"DON'T GIVE IN! LET ME HELP YOU!"  
  
"I am ready to die. Take me with you mother." She held her arms out towards the illusion in her mind. Asuka grabbed her and yanked her through the image.  
  
Asuka swung her onto the Riehard, and the girl's blonde hair moved away from her neck onto her shoulder. Asuka got a good look at her neck, which was covered in greenish/blue circles. 'What the hell is that?' She shook the feeling off. "SHEENA! I'VE GOT HER!! PULL UP, NOW!"  
  
Sheena pulled up hard on the controls, and the Riehard resisted. She was able to point the nose up, but could not break free of the dive due to the new weight of the third passenger. The velocity reduced. "It's no use! I can't stop it! We're going to hit!" Asuka cried.  
  
A dark shadow enveloped Sheena. "I've had enough of this! I won't let us die today!" She stood up on the air-bike and put her hands together like a ninjitsu artist would.  
  
"Sheena, are you crazy?"  
  
Three circles on the points of a triangle appeared below her feet in brown and blue. "From the tiniest droplet and the smallest speck of dust to the largest ocean and the tallest mountain, I summon thee Undinie and Gnome!" The summon spirits of water and earth appeared in front of her, the woman with bubbles flowing through her blue skin and the giant mole with a bow and a pick-axe. "Combine your powers and make a soft field for us to land in!" The creatures turned into light, and the ground the Riehard fell to became soft and wet. It swirled into a lake of mud. "Hang on!"  
  
"To what? I've got to keep Collette steady! Where are the seatbelts on this thing?"  
  
"What are seatbelts?"  
  
"DaaammMMMIIIIIITTTTTTT!!!!" Asuka screamed as they completed their descent.  
  
As the Riehard impacted, the girls called out their defensive moves. "Seal Wall!" "Red Wind!" Their respective abilities activated as the Riehard made an abrupt stop in the mud. The girls were thrown from the air-bike and began to tumble. Their shields dissipated and they spun in the mud, sliding to a complete halt. Sheena was knocked unconscious, but her face was upturned, so she was able to breathe. Collette was face down in the mud, her outfit was torn on her back. Asuka lifted her head and spit out the mud in her mouth and wiped her eyes. Her vision was cloudy, but she could still see the muddy blonde in front of her. "Co...llet...te!" She crawled over to the girl and saw her back, covered in blue-green dots and mud. "What's happened to you?" She flips the girl over in her lap, pointing her face up. The girl coughs.  
  
Three other Riehards come down quickly. The leading Riehard team lands first on a ridge. They call out while trying to find a way down.  
  
Raine called, "Sheena! Are you down there?"  
  
Shinji cried out, "Asuka! Say something!"  
  
Lloyd was the loudest of all, "COLLETTE!! COLLETTE!!" He jumped down, not waiting to find a safer entrance and began to slide down the side of the fissure.  
  
Collette opened her eyes, and focused on the red-head looking down at her with a muddy face. "As..ka."  
  
"Hey!" Asuka said weakly, "Stay with me now!"  
  
"Please....my back...don't let...him...see...." She passed out.  
  
Asuka knew what she was talking about in part. Whatever that stuff was, Collette didn't want anyone to know about it. "Fine. We'll talk later." She lifted the girls head up to her own shoulder, and grabbed a fistful of mud. She layered it on the girl's back and neck, then put her hair back into place. She then placed the dirtied blonde back in her lap.  
  
Lloyd came slipping towards the two girls, stopping just before he bowled them both over. He got down on his knees and whispered. "Collette!! What happened? Asuka, is she...."  
  
Asuka shook her head, "She's just sleeping."  
  
Raine brought a limping Sheena over her shoulder to them. Shinji also followed suit. The other members of the group weren't far behind. "We should get to an inn. I'll be able to do more work on them there."  
  
"This forest looks familiar." Regal pointed out.  
  
"Indeed. Ozette is close by. We can bring them there." Presea mentioned.  
  
"Then we should get going quickly. Give Collette to me, I'll carry her." Zelos offered.  
  
"Forget it! I'm not letting you touch her! You might try to take advantage of her!" Lloyd burst.  
  
"What kind of man do you think I am?! I may be a charmer, but I am not a pervert! I would never take advantage of a girl, ever! It would tarnish my name, and make me lose my status as Chosen!"  
  
"You've been trying to flirt with Collette from the beginning! I'm not...."  
  
"Stop this." Rei walked between the two feuding teens. "This is neither the time nor the place to fight like this. I will transport Collette. Zelos will retrieve the Riehards." Rei lifted the girl effortlessly. The mud soiled the blue-haired girl's plug suit. She gave a cold look to Zelos, and he moved away to get the crashed Riehard slowly.  
  
With the weight off of her legs, Asuka stood up. The first person she made eye contact with was Shinji. She smiled. "Another successful rescue by the great Asuka Langley Soryu." Shinji took a step towards her, with a worried look on his face. "What?"  
  
"Asuka, you're trembling."  
  
She noticed this as well, but her pride wouldn't allow it. "No I'm not. I'm fine, see?" She took a step forward and her legs began to buckle. She began to fall, but Shinji caught her, her muddy body soiling his plugsuit. The girl looked up at him. "See? Nothing to worry about, Idiot-Shin...." She fainted in his arms.  
  
"Asuka!" He held her wrist, and felt her pulse. "Okay. Rest for now." He lifted her up. "Idiot."  
  
The eleven people climbed out of the hole and onto the path towards Ozette.

(Author's Note: That's probably the only time Shinji will ever get the chance to call Asuka an idiot. I hope he enjoyed it. I hope you liked the action scene.)


	5. ToE CH4

Tales of Evangelion CH4  
  
Ozette Inn: Desperation and Forgiveness

How many times do I have to say I don't own the rights?  
  
"It is still a fair distance to Ozette. There is a risk of encountering creatures along the way." Presea stated.  
  
"Then we need to do some reorganization." Lloyd thought. "Professor, I'm taking you out of the lineup along with Collette, Asuka, and Sheena. They may need your help while we're fighting. I'm keeping Shinji and Rei out as well because they're the ones that are carrying the others. That leaves five of us. Regal, I'd put you in, but we need quick victories, while still getting our health back. I want Genis and Presea in the game, along with Zelos. Zelos, if you see anyone struggling, use First Aid. Otherwise, go for long distance attacks. The same goes for you, Genis. Presea and I will try to knock them for a loop and destroy them quickly."  
  
The party got changed, and the group began to trudge towards Ozette. Suddenly, a figure popped out of the shadows.  
  
"This'll be a piece of cake." Lloyd commented upon seeing the two Giant Caterpillars and Gold Beetle. He and Presea moved in. He jumped high into the air. "Rising Falcon!" He did a diving slash against the caterpillar, stunning it.  
  
Presea moved against the second one. She swung her axe up twice, raising the caterpillar high in the air. "Resolute Infliction!" The girl switched targets to the Gold Beetle. She jumped and slashed. "Ayea, ayea!"  
  
"Hee, hu, ha! Deyie!" Lloyd swung his swords around, making a grunt with each successful hit. The caterpillars turned towards him and reached out with their metallic legs. Lloyd blocked it. "No way!" The second caterpillar attacked from behind with a rolling attack, and it broke his guard, sending him into a dizzy fit.  
  
A blue-white ring surrounded Genis. "Chill out! Ice Tornado!" A giant whirlwind with chunks of ice swirled around the three insects, doing intense damage. "Found your weakness."  
  
A red ring enveloped Zelos as the beetle counterattacked Presea. "Time for a cookout. Eruption!" A lava dome bubbled up, tossing one caterpillar and the beetle into the air for three hits. The caterpillar disappeared.  
  
"Psi Tempest!" Lloyd launched into the air, cracking his swords against the struggling beetle. It dies. "You like that?"  
  
Presea moved over to the final caterpillar and blocked its incoming metallic leg attack. She hopped backwards and took two low swings and a jab at the creature. "Fiery Devastation." She swung the axe down, causing rock and fire to jump out in a shockwave. She lifted it up into the creature, and the caterpillar exploded into a puff of thick black smoke.  
  
The battle ended. Lloyd holstered his swords as Presea dusted herself off. "Presea, nothing beats you and your axe!"  
  
"It appears there is nothing left to fight, we should move on."  
  
"Cold."  
  
They continued to walk on. They got to the road that leads to the town of Ozette and paused for a quick break.  
  
"Ozette is close now. We should get underway as soon as possible." Presea stated.  
  
"Have a heart, Presea, I mean look at them!" Lloyd waved his hand towards the rest of the group. Sheena was sitting on a rock with her legs straight and stiff, trying desperately to stay awake, but it was a losing battle. Asuka slept peacefully in Shinji's arms, who was out of breath for carrying her for so long. She refused to release her grip on the boy as she slept. He didn't have the heart to wake her to get her to remove herself from him, nor the extra set of balls he'd need after she kicked the first pair off for touching her. Rei sat down, Indian style, with her eyes closed. Once in a while she would dip a towel in water and drape it over Collette's head, who was lying in front of her. Raine did her rounds, checking on the three participants in the crash. Lloyd walked over to her. "Professor, how are they doing?"  
  
"I'd have to say that we'll need to stay in the Inn for at least two days. Asuka will be fine after a good night's sleep and some small bandages. If we can get her fever to break, Collette will be ready as well. Fortunately that mud pack is keeping her cool. Sheena will most likely take the longest. Both of her legs are severely sprained, and she's not one of the most cooperative of patients either. What little work I can do here, she snubs."  
  
"Why can't you use your full healing abilities right now?"  
  
"Are you stupid? Magic attracts monsters like nothing else, so only the villages are safe to practice magic in."  
  
"So we've got to get them to the inn. No choice in the matter."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
A few feet away, Regal approached Zelos. "Zelos, what is the condition of the crashed Riehard?"  
  
"Darned if I know. I'm not a mechanic."  
  
"May I examine it?"  
  
"Don't tell me you know how these things work."  
  
"Just the basics."  
  
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look." He pulled out the Wing Pack, and a muddy Riehard popped out.  
  
Regal paced around it, checked the underbelly and the rear engine, and gave it an attempted kickstart. The Riehard sputtered and died. He stepped away. "You can put it back in now."  
  
"Fine." He put the Riehard in the Wing Pack again. "So how's it look?"  
  
"Bad. The stabilizers and the rudder are bent out of alignment on the left side, the motor blades have fused together, and there seems to be mud clogging the air intakes."  
  
"So skip to the point. Can you fix it?"  
  
"No. This technology is more than I am capable of repairing. The only people we know that have the means to repair such a vehicle are our enemies."  
  
"The Renegades."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Ahh, maybe we'll get lucky and find someone who can fix it outside of going to that base. I really don't feel like facing Renegades." They walked back to the others. "So are we ready to move?"  
  
"Almost." Raine said. "I may not be able to use magic arts here, but I can help us all get to the Inn a little bit quicker. I want all of you uninjured to take one of these Energy Tablets. It's a temporary boost with no ill after-effects."  
  
"Hey, what about me?" Sheena yawned. "I could use a pick-me-up right about now."  
  
"Taking one of these makes it more difficult to heal. I won't give one to you."  
  
"Listen you old maid. I want one of those pills." Sheena stood up on wobbly legs, she winced as she walked towards the blue-haired woman with a staff slowly. "If you don't, then I'll..."  
  
"You'll what?"  
  
"I...I'll...I'll just have to fight you for them!" Zelos and Regal stood behind her, waiting.  
  
"Oh really?" Raine rolled her eyes and put a finger to Sheena's forehead and tipped her backwards. She fell backwards, past Regal and Zelos who stood watching, onto the hard earth.  
  
"You guys! What were you thinking?!" Genis was stunned.  
  
"Why didn't you catch her?" Regal asked Zelos.  
  
"I thought you had her!" He responded.  
  
"Hello? Shackles?! I can carry, but I can't catch."  
  
"Eh, whatever. What's done is done. Pick her up and let's get moving." Regal lifted the girl over his shoulder and the group began to move again. Zelos thought, 'She's cute when she's out cold.'  
  
They walked much farther, revitalized by the Energy Tablets. They saw the village of Ozette through the trees.  
  
Shinji picked up speed and caught up to Presea. Her looks had softened slightly. Knowing Rei as long as he had, he took that as a good sign. "You seem a little more cheerful." He whispered, to keep the girl in his arms from waking.  
  
"Ozette is my home. I have missed this place. It has an air of familiarity to it that I enjoy."  
  
'This girl likes familiar things too? Was I like her at her age? Or is she more like Rei? Probably both are true to a point.' Shinji thought. "Well, I bet you want to see your family again, right? Who's the first person that you'll say hello to when you get home?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Presea?"  
  
"I...my mother died when I was young. My father was dead for years, but because of my Crystal, I didn't take notice. Only recently did Lloyd and his friends help me bury him. And Alicia...her whereabouts are unknown. I hope to find my little sister some day. I have...no one left."  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"I know how you feel. My mother died in a freak accident when I was three. My father abandoned me around that time as well. Now that I pilot for the government branch he runs, and seeing what he's become, he may as well be dead."  
  
"The people of Ozette hate anyone different from them. The oppression of half-elves is terrible, and because of the condition caused by my Crystal, they oppress me as well."  
  
"Why do they oppress you?"  
  
"I have not aged for decades. Because of my youth, they all hate me. But thanks to Lloyd, I can live a life again. But I can never get my lost time back."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Nothing you can say will change that fact."  
  
"Sorry." 'Damn, I really have to stop doing that.' "Um...then if you don't have anyone there that likes you, why do you want to go back?"  
  
"Why do you still work for your father whom you hate?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You obviously stay around for a reason. You can leave at any time can you not?" Shinji nodded. "Then why don't you leave?"  
  
"Because I'd be running away? Because they need me?"  
  
Presea shook her head, "No. You stay because something in that world is familiar to you and only you, even though you may not know exactly what it is. That is what brings me back to Ozette."  
  
"I never thought of it that way." 'I guess we really are the same.'  
  
Presea lifted her head, "..."  
  
"We seem to be very much alike, Presea. In another universe, we probably could have been siblings. I hope I..."  
  
"Shh." She pulled out her axe. "Lloyd!"  
  
The requested boy turned around and she pointed with her axe towards some thick cover ahead of them. Lloyd nodded and drew his swords. "Genis. Zelos. Get ready."  
  
"Go back to the others, Shinji. We're being watched."  
  
Shinji looked up to the forest, and began to slowly move away towards Raine, Rei, and Regal. Lloyd kept his eyes on the forest ahead. "Genis?"  
  
A red ring appeared under him, "Already on it. Fireball." Three balls of flame shot out of his Kendama. The cover brush disintegrated and an armored man riding a dragon lept out of his destroyed cover.  
  
"Well played! I am Kei. Bounty hunter currently in the service of the Pope. I will take the Chosen One from you now, alive or dead makes no difference to me."  
  
"Well isn't that swell? The Pope sure knows how to take a grudge too far doesn't he?" Zelos complained. "Look, if you want me, then you'll have to fight us for me."  
  
"So be it. I'll just take your body to the Pope when I am finished."  
  
"Ugh! We don't have time for this! We're almost to Ozette! Everyone finish him off quickly!" Lloyd said frustrated.  
  
Presea charged the man on dragonback.  
  
The battle began. Lloyd said, "I'm sick and tired of these guys. Let's go!"  
  
Presea and Lloyd charged the dragon, which sent fireballs towards the girl. She blocked one hit, but got damaged by two more, forcing her to fall back. Lloyd jumped high into the air. "Rising Falcon!" He sliced both the master and the beast, and the rider jumped off.  
  
Genis started off with a blue ring around him, and Zelos had a white one. Genis said, "Form a torrential vortex, and engulf the evil spirits!" He bobbed his Kendama up and down as he charged his spell.  
  
Zelos finished his spell first, as the dragon fired a damaging volley at Presea again. "You'll love me now, huh? First Aid!" Presea recovered health. He then moved in to attack the rider hand-to-hand.  
  
Presea moved in close enough to take a light swipe at the dragon. "Begin." The unison attack started.  
  
Presea attacked first. "Resolute Infliction." She created two crescent arcs with her axe, blowing the dragon upwards.  
  
"Eruption!" Genis's spell created a lava burst, causing three hits as the dragon was blown upward again.  
  
"Sonic Thrust!" Zelos shoved his sword into the creature and it was pushed away.  
  
"Beast!" Lloyd rammed his shoulder into the creature and swung his swords up, creating a blue illusion of a lion's head.  
  
Shinji and Genis began to glow. "Ready to go!" Lloyd said. "Fiery Beast!" Lloyd sliced up, and slashed down with the beast illusion, jumped up again and when he landed, created a big explosion. The unison attack ended and the dragon was slain. All that was left was the rider.  
  
The rider, Kei, began to block as all three physical fighters moved in for the kill. They hacked and slashed with their respective weapons, but still weren't able to break his guard. Genis formed a green circle. "Try this! Wind Blade!" Green crescents surrounded the rider and he was lifted into the air, breaking the guard. Wind cutters sliced into him as Zelos and Lloyd jumped into the air, slashing him some more while the getting was good. Presea was the last to follow. She upturned her axe and took the final blow as it sank into the rider. He was defeated.  
  
The battle ended. Presea spoke the ending words as she turned around and leaned on her axe, "Do not think ill of us."  
  
"Let's hurry up and get them into the village." Lloyd said as they came back from the battle.  
  
"Indeed." Presea said.  
  
"Yeah. I'd say we could all use a good shower and a change of clothes. Aw, man! My pants are ruined from that mud!" Zelos complained.  
  
"That's not mud on your pants, it's even worse." Genis smiled.  
  
"Then what is...nevermind. I don't want to know." Zelos shook his head.  
  
"Fortunately I know some water spells that with a little soap will take that dragon dung right out." Genis smiled wider.  
  
"I said I didn't want to know! Eech!" Zelos shook his feet.  
  
The crew arrived in the village, which was a very dark green place, built on roots of giant trees. They made their way to the inn. Fortunately it was the first building on the left of the entrance.  
  
They entered and Raine went to the counter. The receptionist greeted them. "Welcome to Ozette! How can I...oh my!" She stopped as she saw the three injured girls.  
  
"As you can see, we've had a few mishaps along the way. We need a room for three and a room for five for a couple of days."  
  
"Eight people, ma'am? I count eleven."  
  
"Eleven? Oh yes. I forgot about our new friends. I need a room for five and a room for six."  
  
"The cost is 300 Gald a night per room. Payment is due before checkout."  
  
"Fine by us. Where are our rooms?"  
  
"The second floor, numbers 201 and 202. The men's bedroom is on the left and the women's bedroom is on the right. The bath area on the second floor will alternate between exclusively men's and exclusively women's every four hours. You will find the schedule in your room."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Lloyd paced back and forth in the room while Shinji, Zelos, and Genis sat on the beds, with Regal leaning up against the wall. Periodically the boy would look to the closed door, shake his head and resume pacing.  
  
"Lloyd, will you please stop that? You'll wear a hole in the floor." Zelos said.  
  
"Will you shut your trap for once in your life?" Lloyd snapped at him.  
  
"Woah, take it easy there, Lloyd. Don't get so worked up!" Genis stared at him.  
  
"Indeed. Continuing your present path will only lead you to more anxiety." Regal commented.  
  
"I've got to do something at least. I can't stand this! Damn, what did Rodyle do to her? I should have seen this coming, but I didn't. Why is it that she's always the one to suffer?" Lloyd shouted.  
  
"But you shouldn't rant the entire time!" Zelos said.  
  
"And why aren't you ranting? Sheena's in there too you know! It's pretty obvious you've got a thing for her."  
  
"I've got a thing for every girl, Lloyd. It's my masculine charm. Anyway, she'll be fine. She's exhausted and only has sprained ankles. She's been through worse."  
  
"Yeah, remember, my big sis isn't just our teacher, but she's a great healer too. And with the knowledge that Unicorn Horn gave her, she'll make them good as new. Heck, even Rei is over there. She may have some earthen medical experience we've never heard of." Genis smiled and fell back onto his bed.  
  
"That's true. At first, I had my doubts about our visitors. But it seems that they are a blessing to us. Asuka saved Collette without thinking twice. Rei is creating a rapport with Presea and is helping Raine with the others, and look at Shinji right now, sitting there stoically." Regal smiled, closing his eyes.  
  
Shinji sat on the bed with his legs curled up to his chin, staring at the door. His eyes were completely steady. Lloyd walked around the boy, who hardly even blinked. "I don't think that's stoicism."  
  
Genis sat up and turned towards the boy in question. "It looks like he's either really depressed or in shock. Hey, Shinji. You all right in there?"  
  
Zelos walked over and knocked on the top of his head. "Hey, cut it out. You're starting to scare us here." The boy only moved his eyes to the people in front of him, then back at the door.  
  
"Ok, this kid is starting to freak me out. Anyone know how we can snap him out of it?" Lloyd backed away from Shinji.  
  
Regal approached. "Let me try. Now don't any of you laugh at what he does." He whispered in Shinji's ear. "An Angel is attacking. Rei and Asuka can't get out to fight. What are you going to do?"  
  
Shinji's eyes went wide and his face turned pale. He jumped up and dove for the A-10 headset on his nightstand. He fixed it to his head and stood up. "I've got to get to the Eva cages before the Angel gets to NERV! I'll need...." His eyes focused on the boy in red leather in front of him, and he sat down on the bed again. "Oh, it's you guys. For a while there, I thought it was a dream. Where was I just now?"  
  
"You spaced out. Regal brought you back." Genis pointed to the said man.  
  
"Thank you sir." Shinji said, and Regal nodded.  
  
"You're worried about them aren't you?" Lloyd asked.  
  
"Yeah. It should have been me getting hurt, not Asuka, not Sheena, not Collette. I'm always the one that gets hurt. Now that someone else is hurt, it hurts even more."  
  
"Best not to think too much about it. Try concentrating on hoping for the best."  
  
"Someone should take their own advice, Lloyd." Zelos chimed and Lloyd muttered something unintelligible. "So Shinji, let's talk about stuff. You and Asuka seem to know a lot about each other. I know you two are coworkers and all, but how long have you two been dating?"  
  
Shinji started sweating bullets, "Wh...what? Dating? Asuka? Sh...she wouldn't let me even if...if...even if I wanted to."  
  
"Then how do you know all about her? Have you been stalking her?"  
  
"What? No! Why...why would you think that?"  
  
"I'm just playing around, take it easy! But come on. How do you know about her?"  
  
"We...kind of...live in the same apartment."  
  
Zelos fell back onto his bed in astonishment, "You actually live together? Wow, you are a lucky SOB! So, have you slept together?"  
  
"A few times."  
  
"WHAT??!!"  
  
"It's not like that! We had to do some training so we could defeat this one tricky Angel, so Misato moved her in with us and forced us to do everything toge..."  
  
"Time out. Who's Misato?"  
  
"Miss Major Misato Katsuragi, my guardian and commanding officer."  
  
"She cute?"  
  
"My two friends, Touji and Kensuke always say that she's a babe, but..."  
  
"I can't believe it! You live in a house with two beautiful women, and you're not head-over-heels for one of them? What are you, an icicle? I know! You must be into Rei!"  
  
"N...no!"  
  
"Cut it out, Zelos. You're making him uneasy." Genis scowled as Shinji turned red.  
  
"He's blushing! Ok, what happened? Did you see her naked or something?" Zelos said again.  
  
"Hey, Zelos! Stop this! You're getting way too personal here!" Lloyd said.  
  
Shinji's blush deepened, "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but once, at her place. I was delivering a package, and I caught her getting out of the shower. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, I slipped and fell on top of her."  
  
Zelos rolled out of his bed, laughing the entire time, "I never would have guessed it! Shinji the player! Oh that's sweet!" He climbed back onto the bed. "Oh I envy you; I wish I was in your shoes."  
  
Shinji's blush disappeared in a split second, and he was in Zelos' face before anyone saw him move. "No you don't. No one should ever envy me. You don't know the hell I've gone through."  
  
The entire room became completely silent. All eyes were on the sad boy who stood in front of Zelos. The tension was broken by a knock on the door.  
  
"Who is it? Come on in." Lloyd asked.  
  
The door opened and Raine entered. "Well, I've done all I can for tonight."  
  
"How are they?"  
  
"Asuka's sleeping right now. She should be fine tomorrow morning, but she'll most likely want a large breakfast. That fall took a lot out of her. Sheena refused to sleep, so I had to sedate her. I've given her some herbs combined with some of my spells to heal the muscle. Tomorrow I'll need to borrow Genis to make some ice for her."  
  
"No problem there, sis." Genis smiled.  
  
"And what about Collette?" Regal asked.  
  
"Collette is a bit of an odd case. She regained consciousness, demanding that I not check her for injuries, and then she fainted again. I respected her wishes and only treated her for her fever. It's already broken, so she may be up by tomorrow afternoon. Rei is keeping an eye on them all."  
  
"So they'll all be fine in a couple of days?" Zelos wondered.  
  
"Yes." She answered, 'But what worries me is how afraid Collette is for anyone to touch her.'  
  
"Thank God." Shinji spoke. "That crash could have been deadly."  
  
"But a little quick thinking on Sheena's part gave them the upper hand. Even so, they are lucky." Genis said.  
  
"Where's Presea?" Regal inquired.  
  
"She's joined Rei. Those two seem to have bonded." Raine responded.  
  
"Well...as much as those two introverts can bond." Zelos smiled.  
  
"That was cruel, Zelos." Genis said.  
  
"Hey, any of you know what time it is? I think the bath is ready for the guys' turn. I don't know about you, but I sure could use one. That mud really sticks to you, especially if you work up a sweat fighting bad guys afterwards." Zelos ignored Genis.  
  
"Oh yeah, I sure need one." Lloyd said. "I'll come with you. How about you guys?" He turned towards the others.  
  
"I do not need to bathe at this time." Regal said. "I'll wait until the next shift."  
  
"Don't mind me. I'll wait as well." Genis said.  
  
"I think...I'm better off going later." 'Hopefully alone.' Shinji said, "If you leave your dirty clothes with me, I'll see what I can do to wash them."  
  
"Okay, fine. Well, off to the tub for me!" Zelos said.  
  
The community bath was empty save for the two teenagers who sat in the hot-spring like room. Zelos and Lloyd leaned back in opposite sides of the pool, soaking in the feeling of cleanliness once again.  
  
Lloyd spoke with his eyes still on the ceiling. "Hey Zelos?"  
  
"What? You're ruining the mood of the place, Lloyd."  
  
"Sorry but, I wanted to apologize."  
  
"For what? Oh, is it about when...."  
  
"It was a baseless accusation I made, and I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I was mad at myself for letting Collette get hurt, but I took it out on you. I'm sorry."  
  
"Relax Lloyd. I know how you feel. I get worked up and say things I don't mean too. But I can understand where you got those words from. I do seem to attract all of the ladies. Even so, my divine right as the Chosen of Regeneration forbids me from doing anything of the sort. If I did something like that, I'd be stripped of my title and banished."  
  
"I'm sorry. I was a fool."  
  
"That's what love turns people into."  
  
"Love?"  
  
"You know it."  
  
"You ever been in love before Zelos, I mean for real? Not just the girl of the month club."  
  
"Ouch! That one stung! But actually yes. I fell head-over-heels for one girl a few years ago, but she didn't return my affection, so I moved on."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Hey, could you pass me the soap?"  
  
"As long as you don't try to take advantage of it." Lloyd smiled.  
  
"If I promised that, then I'd never get clean. Soap is meant to be used, humans aren't." Zelos also smiled.  
  
"Heh. Point. Here." He tossed the soap over.  
  
Collette was restless in her sleep, she tossed and turned. "No! Stay away! What's happening to me!? Aaahh!"  
  
Presea looked on at the scene, then up at the girl who shared her personality, "Should we not wake her?"  
  
"It would be wiser not to. Though it is a restless sleep, sleep is still sleep. It refreshes the mind and body." Rei said, her gaze transfixed on the tormented girl.  
  
"I fear she may hurt herself."  
  
"If we do anything to restrain her, she will cause more harm to herself and us then she can do now. You forget that she is as strong as we are, if not stronger."  
  
"I see."  
  
She continued to convulse in her bed. "No! Stop! Get off of me! Get off of my body! Don't change me! Don't change me! NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!" With the last word, Collette sat up and screamed.  
  
With all of the commotion, Asuka rolled out of her bed and landed with a painful thump. She looked up, holding her reddened forehead. "Ow! What happened?!" She looked around the room and saw Rei and Presea staring at a very stressed out and out of breath Collette. Sheena continued to sleep.  
  
Collette began to sob in her hands, and Presea began to get up, raising an arm in preparation to talk to her. Rei put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "We have no experience in such matters, Presea. We may make things worse then they are. Let us leave this to the ones who know. We shall observe."  
  
"It feels wrong to do nothing."  
  
"But it is the only thing we can do correctly for the time being."  
  
Asuka stared in disbelief at the two girls whispering to each other. 'Insensitive dolls. Can't they see that the girl needs help?' She went over and sat at Collette's side. 'They haven't changed her clothes for her. Thank God for small miracles.' She put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey."  
  
The girl sat up, exclaimed, and wrapped Asuka in a hug. "You're okay!"  
  
"What did you expect? I'm not that easy to get rid of."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"You got hurt because of me. I'm so sorry."  
  
"And you were saved because of me! If Sheena and I hadn't come to save you, you'd be a blood smear on some poor guy's property."  
  
"Thanks for that. But even so, it's still my fault. I'm sorry."  
  
"Gyah! Enough with the "sorry" already! I get enough of it from Shinji as is."  
  
"Hehe...sorry."  
  
"In three worlds, THREE WORLDS! Why am I the one that runs into the only two people in three worlds that constantly apologize unnecessarily?"  
  
"Sor..."  
  
"Collette, would you like to be knocked out again? Because I'd be happy to oblige if you finish that sentence!"  
  
"Hehe. So, where is..." Collette gasped as she found the object of her question. "SHEENA! Oh great goddess, what happened to her? Is she alive?"  
  
"She is only sedated." Presea answered.  
  
"She refused the correct treatment for her sprained ankles, therefore, Raine sedated her. Sheena will be out for a few more hours at least." Rei responded.  
  
"So she's only got sprained ankles? Thank goodness." She got up and walked over to the sleeping black-haired ninja.  
  
Asuka took another look at the blonde's back, and she saw some green peeking through the mud, which was beginning to crumble. She quickly moved next to her and whispered in her ear. "Collette, I did what you asked of me with your back, but the mud I put on it is starting to fall off. We need to get you changed without the others noticing."  
  
Collette paled, nodded, and turned to the other girls in the room. "Um, is it okay if Asuka and I go to the bath? I mean, we are kind of dirty, and I could use some relaxation after that nightmare. We are allowed to leave, aren't we?"  
  
Rei nodded, "Raine left specific instructions that when you awoke to let you go. The men's bath hours should be complete, so the bath will most likely be unoccupied."  
  
"We have prepared you some towels and a change of clothes near the door, Collette. Unfortunately, we have no extra clothing similar to what you Earth-comers wear." Presea pointed to the nightstand for the closest bed to the door.  
  
"Damn. I really don't want to wear this plugsuit much longer. It doesn't offer that much protection against the elements and it's really hard to move in it outside of Eva." Asuka looked at her soiled plug-suit.  
  
"That's okay." Collette walked over to her travel bag. "You can wear one of mine." She pulled out one of her uniforms with orange trim and tossed it to Asuka. She also pulled out another one with red trim and offered it to Rei. "You'll need something to wear too, Rei."  
  
"I...dislike red."  
  
"Hmm, how about this then?" She rummaged through her pack and pulled out one with green trim and Rei accepted. "I'm sure you two aren't exactly the same size as me, but with a few changes, I'm sure it'll work." She walked back to her spare blue-trimmed uniform and towels next to Asuka.  
  
"Thanks, Collette. I've got to say that you have excellent style. Of course I'll need to alter it, but I'll do that later. Well, we're off to the bath! We'll try and save some soap and hot water for you two." Asuka called to the two introverts as she left the room.  
  
The two girls walked towards the bath with cheerful looks on their faces. Lloyd and Zelos, returning from the bath, met them halfway while drying their hair.  
  
Lloyd ran up to the girls once his sight was free of his towel. "Collette! Asuka! You're awake!"  
  
"Yep! We're heading towards the bath. We could use a good cleaning, and a bit of refreshing after that ordeal." Asuka smiled.  
  
"I'm no expert, but shouldn't you two be resting?" Zelos pointed out.  
  
"We've been sleeping the whole trip here! You think we need rest?" Collete said.  
  
"Heh. Point. Okay, we'll let you off the hook this time. I forgot that you slept through two battles and didn't wake up once when they carried you here."  
  
"Carried? Who carried us here?" Asuka looked quizzical.  
  
"Well, Rei carried Collette. That girl is about as strong as she is." Zelos said.  
  
"Rei's hiding a lot of secrets isn't she?" Collette stated.  
  
"Aren't we all?" Asuka replied, and Collette flinched inside.  
  
"And Shinji carried Asuka." Lloyd smiled.  
  
"He WHAT?" Asuka cried.  
  
"Um...carried you here?"  
  
"You mean to tell me that stooge not only touched me, but he held me? I am SO going to kill him!" The red-head burned with anger.  
  
"What's a stooge?" The other three inquired at the same time.  
  
"Nevermind. I'm gonna take a dip in that bath, then I'm coming over and kicking Shinji's ass." She shook her fist in the air. The boys backed away slowly, then after getting far enough away, dashed off.  
  
Asuka struggled with her plugsuit while attempting to undress behind the changing blinds. She hit the release switch multiple times, but nothing occurred.  
  
"Damn it!" She said. "Hey Collette, could you give me a hand here?"  
  
"What's up?" Collette stood up, fully clothed.  
  
"My plugsuit's out of power, so I can't get it off like I normally would. I need you to reach the manual release for me."  
  
"Um, okay, if you're sure." She walked behind the screen. "Where is it?"  
  
"See the small knothole under the left shoulder blade? Reach in and pull out the center."  
  
The blonde obeyed, "Okay, now what?"  
  
"Twist it to the right, and then pop open the cap. That'll reverse the suction and the suit will become loose enough for me to handle from there."  
  
The girl once again followed directions and after a hiss, the plugsuit became loose and wrinkly. "Wow! That's cool!"  
  
"First time I've heard that. Thanks."  
  
"Don't mention it." Collette walked back to the opposite side of the screen as Asuka started to disrobe.  
  
Silence entered the room and decided to make its home there. It seemed like ages before one spoke. "Collette, I think we need to talk." Asuka said as she came out wrapped in a bath towel, holding her folded plugsuit in hand.  
  
"Yes. Yes we do." The girl went around to the changing screen and slowly began to undress. "And before you ask, I don't know what it is, but I'm afraid of it."  
  
"What happened to you up in the sky? It looked like you were in major pain."  
  
"I was. It hurts so much when it spreads."  
  
"Spreads? You mean it's gotten worse?"  
  
"Yes." Collette said weakly.  
  
"How bad has it gotten?"  
  
"Come around to this side and see for yourself."  
  
Asuka went around behind her and Collette slipped off her torn robe. "Oh my..." Her back was almost entirely covered in blue-green patches.  
  
"It's spread a lot, hasn't it?"  
  
"N...no. It's not that bad."  
  
"Nice try, Asuka. I've been hiding this for weeks now, so don't you think I'd recognize my own lies about it?" Collette continued to disrobe and Asuka walked back to the bath.  
  
She removed her towel and jumped in. "Ah! Now this feels nice!"  
  
Collette lowered herself into the water next to her and dunked herself. "You're right! I needed this like nothing else."  
  
"Aside from a cure." At that statement, the room went silent. For a long while, no one said anything. Finally, Asuka broke the ice that had frozen over the hot water. "Collette, what are you becoming?"  
  
"I don't know. It feels like I'm crystallizing. My Cruxius Crystal might be trying to take over my body, or I might be turning into a giant Exsphere." She put her head down. "I might even be turning into a monster."  
  
"Like the ones we fought before?"  
  
"No, hideous giants that are extremely powerful and once human. Lloyd knows about that. His friend Marble turned into one of them, and we've seen Clara on the rampage as one of them."  
  
"I see. Is that why you were trying to kill yourself?"  
  
"Wh...what?!"  
  
"Collette, my hearing was good enough to get parts of what you were saying. You were trying to commit suicide to prevent the others from suffering."  
  
"No...that's not what I was doing! That wasn't my intention at all!"  
  
"Collette, you can stop lying to me now. I can see through your ruse. I've been through it myself."  
  
"You! You've tried...."  
  
"No. I haven't, but I've gone through all the arguments in my head."  
  
"How could you know?! You're not me! You're not being taken over by some...THING! Where do you get off...."  
  
"My mother hung herself." Collette bit down on the words she was to say when she heard that line. "It...it's not something I like to talk about. Not even Shinji knows. I think you should know though, because I have one of your secrets now. Here's mine."  
  
"..."  
  
"She went insane, my mother. She tested out my Eva and went mad when I was a little girl. She just sat in a hospital bed feeding that little rag doll like it was ME! ME! I was alive, and she just referred to me as 'THAT GIRL!' The day I became an Eva pilot, I found her in her room, hanging from the ceiling, with the doll right next to her. She killed me in her mind, and let her body follow. It was a double suicide. I swore I wouldn't cry again after that, to become stronger, smarter, and independent."  
  
"Asuka...I..."  
  
Asuka stood up and towered over the girl, "Your reasons are flawed. You want to protect them from suffering because of you. I've suffered because of my mother's death. I know what I've become and I hate it, but I'm who I am. And don't you tell me that your situation is different because LIKE HELL IT IS! You're death will only torment the others, and you'll be failing your entire people if you die. They've placed their hopes and dreams on you, just like Earth has placed their lives on us Evangelion pilots. If you die, then you'd be considered a failure. I don't care what it takes, but you'd better get out of that frame of mind, or else."  
  
"I...I see. I'm sorry. I didn't know."  
  
"And I didn't want to tell anyone, but it feels good now that I've gotten it off of my chest. Don't you agree?"  
  
"Yeah, I felt I was going to explode if I didn't tell someone. Hey, Asuka. What was the 'or else?'"  
  
"Or else I'd kill you, resurrect you, and keep you alive in torture while wishing you were dead. Pass me the soap, would you?"  
  
"You have very violent tendencies, Asuka."  
  
"Blame it on my mother's stupid suicide."  
  
With that, the girls began to enjoy their bath.  
  
As half of the crew slept inside while the other half waited in line to use the bath, a brownish-red headed figure looked down at the Inn from the edge of the root that held the shop above it.  
  
'They seem to be getting along. That's good. They could all learn something from this.' Kratos thought.  
  
'I wonder if I should tell Lord Yggdrasill about them. No. He'll find out eventually through others. It isn't necessary to tell him.'  
  
'The other side must be in total chaos right now. What could Yggdrasill be planning? His dreams are still of rescuing Martel, then why does he continue the assault on the other side when he is so close to doing so?'  
  
He turned away and began to walk with his thoughts. "Good luck, Lloyd. Shinji."

(Author's Note: What's Kratos hiding? What's Yggdrassil hiding? And when will I ever get to the plot? You'll find out sooner or later.)


	6. ToE CH5

Tales of Evangelion CH 5

The Second Day

"You know, Genis, you don't have to come with me to the bathroom. I am capable of taking baths myself." Shinji said as the two boys walked down the hall, each with a large pile of dirty clothes.

"I'm not doing it for you. I'm all sweaty, and besides, there's a lot of stuff to clean. You could use my help." Genis replied.

"Fine, whatever. I just want to get out of this plug-suit and into the bath."

"I was surprised that Lloyd would let you use one of his old outfits to wear."

"He's the only one that's near my size, and he had outgrown it anyway. I'm not a real fan of leather, but it'll have to do until I find something better."

Genis opened the sliding door leading into the bath. "What's wrong with leather? I think it looks.... Um...." He paused as he looked through the steam towards the pool as he turned white.

"It can shrink drastically; it doesn't offer that much protection against the elements and...Genis, what's wrong?" He asked seeing the boy's plight. Genis pointed a shaky finger at the pool, where two people with long hair was sitting, looking back at them. "Oh, crap. I'm in for it this time."

"AAAAAAHH!!" Collette screamed as she sank low into the water so only her nose was above.

"YOU PERVERTED IDIOTS!! Get out, get out, GET OUT!" Asuka cried as she stood up and began throwing things at the two boys.

Genis and Shinji ran out of the bathroom while getting pelted by bars of soap, furniture, and some select words. Once out, they leaned against the side wall and panted. "What...are they...doing in there?!" Shinji asked out of breath.

"It's supposed...to be the guys turn. I guess...they didn't get...the memo." Genis responded in the same way.

A few seconds later, the door flew open and revealed a fully-clothed and completely enraged Asuka. "IKARI SHINJI!!"

The said pilot's knees buckled and he fell prostrate at her feet. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I thought it was the guys turn to use the baaaaaaaaahhhh!!" A swinging foot found his side and he went sliding down the hallway.

Asuka ran after him while Genis stopped and stared at the two. Collette slowly walked out of the bath, fully-clothed. "You think we should try and stop her, Collette?" Genis couldn't look at the girl out of shame.

"I haven't known her that long, but I'd say that would be a wasted effort."

"I agree with that. Sorry about that Collette. We thought it was the guys turn in the bath. I didn't see anything, really."

"That's good. But just to make sure...Pow Hammer!" Collette pulled out a red and yellow plastic hammer and swung it on top of Genis' head. It made a squeak on impact.

"I guess I deserved that." The boy said as he crumbled to the floor.

On the other side of the hallway, Asuka picked up Shinji by the collar of his plug suit as he screamed out his defense. "It was an accident, I'm sorry! I thought that it was the guys turn in the bath! I didn't see anything!"

Asuka slammed him against the wall and pulled back her fist, "Do you think it's just about that?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Shinji cried as he braced himself for the inevitable hit.

She punched the wall half an inch away from his face, and he relaxed slightly. "Why did you do it, Shinji?" She said through her teeth.

"I told you it was an acci...."

"Why did you carry me? You know I don't want you touching me. You violated me!"

"I did not! You collapsed into me and wouldn't let go! I didn't hold you anywhere inappropriate! I'm not the pervert your mind turns me into!"

"You're lying. I would never grab a hold of the likes of you, and I would have made it on my own fine anyway."

"Who's lying? You were completely exhausted, Asuka. You were out cold for hours and slept through two battles. And even though you don't like it, you held on to me. I'm sorry if that makes you upset but it's the truth."

"But why'd you agree to carry me in..."

"You would rather have been carried by Zelos? Or maybe Regal?"

"The...no. I wouldn't. I don't know them well enough."

"So given the options, was it so bad for me to bring you here?"

"No, I guess it wasn't." She snapped back to her angry self. "But what kind of crappy choices were they?! Why couldn't I have a hunk like Kaji catch me instead?" Shinji just blinked. "Grrr. The bath is free now, idiot. Next time knock before you barge in. Now get clean. You really stink."

Asuka went to the girls room and Collette soon followed, but not before stopping by Shinji. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

"You should get the Professor to check out your side. It looks like it will have a nice bruise."

"Maybe later. By the way, I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thanks. Me too." She left, and Shinji walked back towards the bath while picking up the clothes he dropped along the way. Genis stood by the door with a large bump on the top of his head. "What happened to you?"

He rubbed his head and winced when he touched the bump, "Collette's version of revenge. Let's get going, huh?" They both walked into the bath, but a giant axe landed in between them. They both jumped backwards at an angle away from the axe. "What the heck?!"

Shinji looked towards the pool, and a girl with pink hair and a girl with blue hair stared back at him. "What...I mean...how...I mean...sorry for interrupting, but how'd you get in here?" He averted his gaze in remembrance of his accident with Rei.

Rei just stared at the boys with an unfeeling gaze, but Presea seemed slightly annoyed with them as she put down the arm that she threw her axe with. "We entered through the door you just came through." Rei said matter-of-factly.

"Approximately three minutes ago." Presea completed.

"No way!" Genis was amazed, "The only people that were in the hallway were me, Shinji, Collette, and Asuka. We would have seen you." He continued watching them like everything was normal.

"Ikari had his eyes closed in brace of a punch by Pilot Soryu when we passed."

"And Genis was crumpled on the floor, recovering from the head injury given by Collette." Presea finished Rei's comment.

"But...but...it's the guys turn in here!" Shinji stuttered.

"Yeah! What's the deal?" Genis folded his arms and pouted.

"We entered the pool exactly one minute before the expected swap. Therefore, we get the pool until we decide to come out." Rei said blankly.

"That's not fair! You'd keep us waiting until the next girls shift is on!" Genis complained.

"Even so, we are the ones in this pool washing up, while you are looking at us in our nude forms." Presea frowned.

The realization hit Genis and his entire body stiffened. He turned red and spun around. "I...I...I'm sorry! Forgive me for the intrusion!" Then whispered, "Shinji, let's get out of here!"

"I'm right behind you. Ayanami, could you at least give us a decent amount of time to bathe before the guy's shift is over?" He didn't wait for an answer and the two boys began to walk towards the door.

"Ikari." Rei said as they entered the threshold of the door. They stopped dead in their tracks. "If you wish, you may join us. We are colleagues after all, you and I."

"N...n...no thanks!" Shinji ran out of the room, but soon realized he was alone. Genis was still in the doorframe, frozen in place with a small nosebleed. He ran back to get the boy. "Come on, Genis." He pulled him through the door and closed it, and they ran back to the men's bedroom.

The boy recovered from his shocked state, and looked at Shinji. "Um, let's not tell the others about this. Zelos would have a field day."

"Agreed. We'll just wait until the girls are finished and get in there as soon as possible."

From behind a screen in the women's bedroom, Asuka called out from behind a screen. "Hey Collette. How attached are you to this ensemble?"

"You mean the clothes I gave you? They're yours now. Do what you like to them."

"Ok, thanks." Asuka began to shift and rip parts of her dress to alter it. She emerged from behind the curtain. "Ta-da!" The front coat tails that were on Collette's dress were ripped off on Asuka's dress and tied to the shoulder and wrist. One of the back coattails was used to make a longer shoulder strap for comfort, and the other was fashioned into a sheathe for a dagger or sword.

"Wow, Asuka! You've got great fashion sense! Those are some amazing alterations." Collette applauded.

"Thanks. It's a gift."

Asuka earned the title of "Fashionable Customizer."

"Hey, where's Raine?" Collette looked around.

"I think she said something about going to fetch Genis. For some ice, I think."

"Oh, okay!"

After knocking, Raine entered the men's sleeping cabin. "Good morning everyone."

Lloyd yawned, "Good morning, Professor. How is everyone doing?"

"It seems that Collette and Asuka are back to their normal selves. Sheena's ankles are starting to swell up. That's to be expected. I've actually come to see if Genis could help me make some ice for her."

"Sure thing Sis." He ran up to her, smiling. His Cool Orbit Kendama was at the ready.

Raine sniffed the air, "Woah! What is that?" She did so again. "Genis, is that you?"

Genis rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess so. I didn't get the chance to take a bath this morning yet. Sorry."

"Whew, that's ripe! Ok, new plan. Zelos...you can wield magic. You'll make the ice.

"Fine. Fine. Someone bring up some breakfast for me ok?" Zelos got up and followed Raine.

As they exited, Rei and Presea entered. "Ikari." Rei said. "We have completed. You may use the facilities. You may as well, Master Sage."

"We will take our leave now." Presea finished.

"Um, hey Presea!" Genis called out.

The girl turned around. "What is it?"

"How's that sharpening stone I gave you working out?"

"It is very useful. And very thoughtful. Thank you. Goodbye."

The two left the room which became completely silent.

Lloyd spoke first. "'Master Sage?' Does she always talk like that?"

"Basically, yes." Shinji said quietly, "She has never called me by my first name. As far as I know, she's only called my father 'Commander' or 'Commander Ikari.' You'll probably have to get used to it. She'll probably give you all embarrassing titles, like 'Lord Irving' 'Mister Regal' and such. She always calls me and Asuka 'Pilot.' That irks her to no end."

"You're right, that is kind of embarrassing. But even so the bath is free." Genis jumped up and raised his arms, "Now to get clean."

"Woah! Genis! Put your arms down, that isn't helping the smell!" Lloyd put on a silly grin.

"Why you!!!" Genis growled.

Shinji grabbed the boy by the shoulder and dragged him towards the door. "Come on, Genis. Let it go."

"Ugh, my head." Sheena slowly awoke. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes what Zelos with his sword out. "I must still be asleep. The only time I see him is in my nightmares."

"Ouch!" Zelos winced.

"Sedated people don't dream, Sheena." Raine appeared next to him.

"Damn! I guess it hurts to much to be a dream anyway. Where am I?"

"You're in the Ozette Inn remember?" Raine said. "Thank you Zelos, this will do for now."

"Sure, just call me later if you need any more." He left the room.

"You've been a lot of trouble lately, young lady. Why did you refuse my treatment?"

"I...I...I hate being doctored. I respect doctors for what they do, but I don't like them doing it to me. After I failed with Volt, I was injured very badly. I was constantly monitored by doctors for a month, and their cures almost hurt more than the affliction. I vowed never to get hurt that badly again. But I ran into you guys at Luin."

"I healed you then. Why didn't you stop me then, or hate me for it afterwards?"

"I was far too weak to do anything at the time, and the way you cured me, it didn't hurt. I knew that you would do your best this time too, but...I was reacting like I normally would. I'm sorry."

"I see. Memory has powerful effects over judgment, so I can't blame you. As you know, I have an aversion to water. Even so, I fought against that fear to ride on the EC and other things. You can too. I promise that you won't get hurt by any of my treatments without your approval first. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes. Thanks. So what are you doing now?"

"Zelos and I have created an ice pack around the sprains. That will reduce the swelling slightly. Later I want you to hit the bath and soak in there for a while. You can get the mud off, and some heat will also soothe the wound."

"I see. So when will we be able to continue?"

"We'll stay here for one more night. By that time, you should be able to walk on your own. I would ask you to keep from fighting for at least a week after that, but knowing you, I'll cut that down to three days at least."

"But..."

"No buts. You've got to rest or you'll risk injuring yourself again. Do you understand?"

"I...yeah."

"Keep that ice on for a few more hours, then we'll both head to the bath and get washed up. I'll go tell everyone that you're awake."

The rest of the day went smoothly, with each person doing their own separate indoor activities to keep them occupied. (Probably because I can't think of any more filler for today.) At sunset, they said their good nights and fell asleep.

Deep in the heart of the Holy Ground of Kharlan, many half-elves are wide awake. Lord Yggdrassil entered the chamber he knew well. In it, the Great Seed of the Kharlan Tree hovered, suspended and encapsulated by three beams of Mana emanating from three pillars. The fourth pillar didn't send any energy.

Yggdrassil frowned, "The seal of water is no longer transmitting Mana. Undinie you traitorous Summon Spirit."

An image of a young green-blonde appeared in the Seed. "Sister. It has been a while. Do not worry. Soon, you will return to this world, and we will be able to live together in a peaceful land made just for our race!"

The image didn't respond to his words, it just disappeared into the Seed again.

Kratos walked in behind him and went down on one knee. "Lord Yggdrassil."

"What is it you want, Kratos? You know I don't like to be disturbed when I'm here."

"My humblest apologies sir, but this matter requires your approval, and it concerns our goals."

"Continue."

"We do not have enough Mana to provide for the next Cruxius Crystal experiment and the assault at the same time. In fact, we do not have enough Mana to produce either at this time."

"What?! How is that possible?! I've thought everything out perfectly! If anything, we should have excess!"

"I believe it is Rodyle. He seems to be sending us less and less Mana every week. Our greatest Mana mine is run by his Ranch, and he is using much more of it than he is telling us about...for some unknown purpose."

"That overconfident nitwit!"

"Should I send a team to remove him?" Kratos stood up.

Yggdrassil looked to the fourth pillar. "No. We need him. Tell Forcystus and the Tethe'-allan Pope to intensify their mining operations. Divert all necessary Mana to prepare for the assault. Then, I want that Cruxius Crystal completed once the assault is over."

"Understood." Kratos turned to leave.

"Kratos, wait." The Cruxius Angel stopped. "We have been friends for a very long time. Has that changed?"

"No, sir."

"Then why do you not call me by the name I was given?"

"Calling you by your title is a sign of respect, Lord Yggdrassil. Though I am honored that you would let me call you by your first name, I could not, because it would not show the respect that I have for you."

"You are very honorable, Kratos. I only wish that some day, you will be able to say it without feeling guilty."

"When your victory is final, I will most surely."

"That day will soon be at hand. Send in Pronyma when you leave."

"Understood. Good day to you, my Lord." The human Seraphim left.

"Soon indeed."

The Desian Grand Cardinal Pronyma teleported into the chamber. "You wished to see me, my Lord?"

"Yes. Excellent timing, Pronyma. I have a task for you."

"Anything you desire, sir."

"I will be going on a little...trip. There has been a delay in the production of the next Cruxius Crystal. I am turning the control of the project over to you until my return. The crystal will be completed by then."

"L...lord Yggdrassil! I am not worthy of such an honor."

"On the contrary. You are the perfect candidate. Once the crystal is completed, follow these instructions." He handed her a piece of clear plastic. "Use the Core Control Computer to decipher it. I'm allowing you clearance for that."

"I see. Thank you, sir!"

"You are dismissed."


	7. ToE CH6

Tales of Eva CH6

A Link

The morning dawned on all. One person was up before the sun, cooking in the small, primitive second floor kitchen. Everyone floated into the dining area from the smell emanating from the kitchen. Lloyd and Genis drooled at the fragrance as Shinji walked in carrying a large pot.

"Oh, you're all awake. Good, at least I don't have to call you all for breakfast." Shinji smiled.

"What's on the menu today? That smells awesome!" Genis praised.

"Hmph." Asuka pouted, "Miso stew again, Shinj-idiot?"

Shinji spooned out the stew into some bowls. "Sorry. I didn't know what else to cook this morning."

"THAT'S MISO STEW?" Lloyd, Genis, Collette, Raine, and Sheena exclaimed at the same time.

"What? Sorry. It's not that good is it?"

Lloyd almost dropped to the floor after he tasted it. "Not that good? This is incredible!"

"There is no way I could match this stew." Regal took another spoonful.

Shinji noticed that Rei wasn't eating. "Ayanami? Something wrong?"

"You are aware of my food preferences. Therefore I...."

"Can most definitely finish that stew. Don't worry, Rei. I didn't forget you're a vegetarian. I wasn't sure of anyone else's preferences either, so I just made it a vegetarian stew."

"THIS IS A VEGGIE MISO STEW??!!" The five from before cried again.

Sheena slurped, "Compared to this, we've been eating dust our entire journey."

Raine gulped down her bowl, "The Wonder Chef would bow to this stuff. Is there enough for seconds?"

"I made enough for thirds just in case."

"That does it." Lloyd stood up and walked over to Shinji, holding a large spoon. "From now on, you're in charge of cooking while we're on this trip together."

Shinji took the spoon and everyone applauded other than Rei, Presea, and Asuka. Shinji turned beet red. They all finished their meals.

They checked out of the hotel (and saved the game, lol), and went to the town limits. Here, Lloyd stopped.

"Hey, what's going on, Lloyd?" Genis inquired.

"We'll be traveling on foot, so that means we'll be doing some fighting. Before we get started, I'd like to switch around the battle assignments."

"About time. I'm just itching for some action." Sheena grinned.

"That's the herbal salve I put on your ankles, Sheena. Try not to scratch it. And no, you're feet are too tender to go into battle." Raine said.

"But..."

"I told you. I'm putting you on fighting leave for three days, not an hour sooner. Clear?"

"Crystal." Sheena mumbled.

"Well, Sheena's out." Lloyd thought out loud, "I'll stay in as usual, and I want Presea in as well. As for our magic users, Genis and Raine. Normally I'd put Zelos in instead of Genis for a quick healing as well as physical and elemental attacks, but with our new cook, we won't have to worry about that. Is everyone okay with this?" Everyone but Sheena acknowledged in the positive. "Then let's head out."

Out in the field, the group exited the Ozette region. They looped around the mountain that hides it from view most of the time, and trudged through the forest on the other side. The bad thing about forests is you can't see bad guys when they sneak up on you, which happened once they entered their third dense patch of trees. BATTLE SCREEN!

A Mantis, a Tropical Worm, and a Boxer Iris stood in front of them. Presea began the battle. "50% output should be sufficient." She charged the monstrous group.

Lloyd was the first to get a hit though, as he began with his signature starting ability. He jumped high into the air and dove towards the Tropical Worm. "Rising Falcon!" He slashed the Worm on impact and also slid into and through the Mantis as well.

Raine began to charge as a white ring encircled her. Genis was the first to attack though, as he finished charging his purple ring. "Wanna charge? Thunderblade!" A giant purple and blue sword crashed through the Mantis and its shockwave spread out around it and the Worm. The shockwave receded and touched the blade of the sword, where a secondary electrical shock hit both of the monsters three times.

Presea swung her axe high above her head in preparation for attacking the Iris. "Deva..." The fighting plant gave her two jabs to the ribs. "Aah!" Her attack didn't complete. Instead, she swung it horizontally left, then right, cutting at least 750 HP from the target. Before it could reciprocate, she blocked with her axe. "No!" She cried as it did two more right jabs and a left hook.

Lloyd turned around and attacked the Tropical Worm from behind. "Fierce Demon Fang!" He slammed both of his swords into the ground, creating a small shockwave that pulled out five hits from the target. The Mantis crawled up next to him and put its mandibles around his waist. "Aagh, aagh, aagh!" A three hit combo and it released him, he backed away. "Pretty good."

Raine finished charging. "Ready? Ray!" A blinding white light appeared above the Mantis. It began to rain down strikes of light all over the field. One glanced the Worm, and the Iris took a direct hit. The Mantis was forced down when it got hit vertically by the last Ray strike.

Lloyd took this opportunity to exact his revenge on the Mantis. He switched it to his target and began his assault. He jabbed the Mantis at blinding speed. "Sonic Sword Rain!" Then he pulled up close to the still staggering Mantis and lifted his blade up and down twice. "Twin Tiger Blade." The last hit forced the Mantis to collapse on the ground. It was slow getting up.

Genis began to charge up an ice attack, but the Tropical Worm curled into a ball and rolled into him, canceling the charge. "Don't bother me!" He tried to back away and started again, but once again, the Worm stopped him.

Lloyd noticed and switched targets back to the Worm. Raine charged up another attack. Presea swung towards the Iris again. "Destruction." The blade landed squarely in the ground, shooting rocks up, and creating another combo hit against the fighting plant. Before she could continue her assault, the Boxer swung left and right six times as it smiled. It finished with an uppercut that sent the girl flying. She flipped over in midair and returned to battle, ignoring her injuries. She made another overhead swing. "Finality Punishment!" When the swing made contact, she spun the blade a full 360 degrees, forcing the Iris into a dizzy spell. She closed in and swung two more times melee style, then slammed her axe into the ground again. "Eternal Damnation!" Rocks flew up, then she swung upwards in an arc twice, and brought the hammer down on the enemy once more. The Boxer Iris exploded into a black puff. "Die!" Presea turned her attention towards the assaulting Worm like Lloyd.

Raine finished charging her attack. "Light! Photon!" The orange light enveloped the Mantis as it took the initial hit. The Photon exploded for the final hit. Unfortunately, the damage was reduced as the Mantis just began to get up. Raine started to power up again as the Mantis slowly crawled towards her.

Presea and Lloyd began melee attacking the Worm from behind, breaking its guard. Genis became encircled in orange-red as he charged up another attack. "Reduce these evil souls to ashes."

Lloyd and Presea continued to hack at the Tropical Worm, and soon it was no more. They turned their sights towards the Mantis. But before they started moving, Raine finished her spell. "Help is on the way. Healing Circle!" A blue and green circle spread out under Lloyd and Presea's feet. They recovered HP each second they stood there. After they were fully healed, they charged the Mantis side by side.

The Mantis came within striking distance of Raine as Genis finished his spell. "Explosion!" A meteor came down upon the Mantis and it expanded into red fire as the bug raised its claws to land on Raine. The damage destroyed it before it could ever touch the woman.

"I'll protect you, Sis." Genis said.

"I'm counting on you." Raine countered in a sweetly innocent voice.

"Heh heh heh heh."

They obtained Rosemary, Grapes, and an Orange Gel from the battle, and Shinji made a quick sandwich for everyone.

They all exited the forest into open field. It's much easier to see monsters in the open field than in the forests. They ignored the monsters that just walked around patrolling their territory or just seemed curious and watched them. The crater was just ahead, in a semi-arid region. Before they were able to reach the crater, a black blob with grey eyes jumped up and down, then charged the group. (Note: There are only two types of monsters in the Field Area, grey eyed "Blobbos" and green eyed "Stompers." These are just small representations for different groups of creatures.) BATTLE SCREEN!

It was a marauder band. A Sorceress, two Archers, and a Thief faced off against the heroes. Genis opened up the battle. "Let's get this over with."

Lloyd started out once again. "Rising Falcon!" He swept through the Thief, but just short of the first Archer. Presea took aim at the second Archer, but flinched when his arrow shot her. The Sorceress charged a purple spell, while Raine did so (all her spells are white). Genis charged a blue spell.

As Lloyd took to the first Archer, and Presea the second, the Thief just waited. It became a battle of spells. Genis finished his spell first. "Get 'em! Aqua Edge!" Four small disks of water shot out from under him and clipped the heels of the Thief and the first Archer.

The Sorceress was next to attack. "Die! Like that?!"

A lightning bolt began to target Raine, but she pulled out of her spell fast enough to call forth to raise her defenses. "Force Field!" A green and yellow sphere surrounded her, dampening the damage. She resumed her charge.

The Thief decided to go on the attack as Presea removed the Archer's life. She went to attack the Sorceress. As Lloyd continued to slash the other Archer, the Thief attacked from behind with a dagger thrust to his back. "You ain't goin nowhere. Thanks."

Being unable to block the attacks, Lloyd did the only thing he could think of. "Psi Tempest!" He twisted in the air, slashing the Archer on the head five times as he spun forward. The Archer fell to the ground, never to get up again.

Raine finished charging her ability. "Light! Photon!" The Thief was taken by the light. The second explosion dealt enough damage to end his life.

Presea took the final swing against the Sorceress and ended the fight. She dusted herself off. "It looks like it is over."

They gained a Magical Cloth, and an Apple for their troubles.

Back in the field, they walked straight towards the crater. The monsters seemed to stop appearing. Z-Skit: Missing Monsters.

Lloyd looked amazed: Strange. The monsters have disappeared.

Raine: I'm not surprised. The impact most likely scared them off.

Genis with his complaining half eyed look: But these are monsters we're talking about. If those ugly little beetles aren't afraid of us, why would they be afraid of a crater?

Lloyd's normal face: He's right Professor. I don't think these creatures would leave just because of a hole in the ground.

Raine: Perhaps you're right. I am sensing an odd quantity of Mana in this area. We should be careful.

They took a few more steps, and reached the edge of the crater.

-Terminal M-

A: Enter

B: Leave

A: Enter.

The group reached the very edge of the crater. Lloyd whistled. "Wow, this thing is huge!"

Sheena stared. "What could cause so much damage?"

Rei spoke, "An N2 mine."

Shinji turned towards her, "Ayanami?"

"An N2 mine or an Angel exploding. The crater lakes in Tokyo-3 are this large."

"Just how many lakes are you talking about?" Genis asked.

"Two for the Third, two for the Seventh, one for the Tenth. A total of five lakes."

"Such power amassed and released in one area. Your home must be a very dangerous place." Regal spoke.

Shinji responded, "It is, and yet people still continue to live there."

Collette launched into the sky. "Hey, I think there's a way down over there." She smiled as she pointed to a moderately slanted part of the crater not too far off. She landed and pulled her wings back in. "Let's go!"

Raine spoke up as she examined the path. "The dirt isn't packed. The footing is extremely poor. If we made it down in one piece, we wouldn't be able to come back up."

"Just leave that to me." Sheena pulled out a spell tag. "I call upon the servant of mother Earth. I summon thee. Come, Gnome."

The giant mole with a pick axe and a bow on his head appeared before them. "Oh hey Sheena. Hey, tough luck about the feet. Hope you HEEL quick, ha ha. Get it? Heel?"

"Ugh. Thanks. I think. Look, do you think you could pack this dirt and make us some steps to get down into the center?"

"Hey, it's not dirt okay? It's sediment."

"Fine, fine, whatever. Can you do it?"

"Ya sure, piece of cake. Speaking of cake, you don't happen to have some on you would you? I'm starved."

"Summon Spirits don't eat, Gnome."

"They don't? Oh, well now someone tells me. Anyway, here I go." The Summon Spirit disappeared in a flash of brown light, and the dirt, sorry, sediment shifted and became more solid. It turned into blocks. At the end, Gnome left a simple message on the first step. "Ta-da."

Shinji was in awe. "Summon Spirits come in handy."

Sheena smiled at him. "You should see them in battle." They all began to walk down the newly formed stairway towards the center of the crater.

Zelos was slack jawed, "Okay. There is no way this thing could have survived the explosion."

They stood in front of a giant hexagonical structure with a very large door.

Raine began to go into ruin mode. "Incredible! There isn't a single scratch or blemish anywhere! Feel the smooth surface."

Asuka rubbed her fingers against the building. "This is stainless steel!"

Presea spoke, "It is illogical that something this large would go undiscovered for so long."

"Maybe it was buried and the explosion uncovered it." Lloyd looked back towards her.

"That theory is sound." Rei spoke monotonically.

Raine grinned from ear to ear, "I wonder what kinds of artifacts we'll find inside."

Lloyd walked up to the door. "I can't seem to find a lock. How do we open it? Push this little square?" He did so and the doors slowly slid open. "Oh, I guess that was how you open it." The others sweatdropped. "Let's go everyone."

It was dark inside. Once everyone was through the door, it shut automatically with a large clang. The lights turned on. The walls were covered in circuits and small hatches. On the far side of the room sat a small ball on a pedestal in front of a sealed door.

"Wow! This place is incredible! It's like a Desian base, but cooler looking." Lloyd grinned. Genis coughed and Raine leaned on her staff. The teenage swordsman took notice. "Professor, Genis? You okay?"

Raine breathed heavily. "Give us a minute."

Genis coughed again. "The air around here is hard for us to breathe. The Mana level is extremely high. We just need to get used to it first."

After a few moments, they stood up straight again. "Okay. I think we're ready." Raine said with conviction.

"Are you sure?" Zelos asked.

"We're fine, we're fine. Let's keep going." Genis waved them on.

"All right then." Lloyd walked towards the next door.

As the others followed him, Asuka whispered to Shinji. "I'm getting a distinct nostalgic feeling. Are you?"

"Nostalgic? What does that mean?" Shinji blinked.

"Idiot." Asuka frowned.

Lloyd looked at the ball in front of him. "Hmm, what is this thing?"

"It appears to be similar to the security system at the Toize Valley Mine. But this one doesn't seem to be malfunctioning. Even so take great..." Lloyd placed his hand on the ball, "care."

Lloyd was blown backwards and the lighting turned red. A female voice echoed in the chamber. "Warning. Intruder Alert. Begin security measure Alpha." The small hatches opened and ten Cybit sentry robots floated out and encircled the party.

"We're surrounded!" Collette looked worried.

"Security measure Alpha complete. Submit Omega Level clearance or security measure Beta will commence."

"Can we take down all of them?" Zelos looked around.

"There's probably more where they came from. It would be useless." Raine spoke, with her rod at the ready.

"Beginning weapons charge. Submit Omega Level clearance or firing will commence."

"We'd better do something or we'll have more holes than Swiss Cheese." Asuka pulled out her blade.

"We will not die." Rei spoke as she walked towards the ball. She placed her hand on it.

"Rei, what are you doing?!" Shinji cried and took a step towards her.

"DNA scan accepted. Subject: Rei Ayanami. Standing down weapons."

"What in the...?" Asuka stared at the girl.

"State passcode for entry."

"Passcode: Omega, Epsilon, Projection, Omega, End Line." Rei announced.

"Passcode accepted."

Rei removed her hand from the ball and the doors swung open.

Raine walked up to her. "Ayanami, explain."

"Upon entering, a mild nostalgia surfaced in me. On Earth, I have Omega level clearance."

"So then, this building...." Lloyd spoke.

"Is most likely from Earth." Rei finished his sentence.

"But how is that even possible?" Genis echoed everyone's thoughts.

"Unknown. We may find the answers further in." The group followed her through the door.

They looked around the even larger room. There was a large rectangular pillar that reached up from the floor with sliced off corners in the center with stairs going up to the top. To the left and right were doors to other rooms, but had no visible way of entering them. "So Rei, do you know what this place is for?" Genis walked next to the girl who shared his hair color.

"No. Though it feels familiar, this location's design is foreign to me."

A blinding white flash permeated the area. Then it disappeared as quickly as it came. "What was that?" Shinji asked as he opened his eyes.

The computer answered his question. "Scan complete. Subject Rei Ayanami accompanied by ten humanoids. All medical problems addressed. Detecting damaged mechanical components." A robotic flatbed cart rolled out in front of them. "Place items that need repair on the receptacle."

"Damaged mechanical components?" Sheena looked lost.

Raine understood, "It must mean the Reihard. Zelos, drop the Reihard on the table."

"Do you really think that an Earth piece of technology can fix Tethe'-allan technology?" He said.

"We can at least try. We're at a disadvantage as it is right now." Raine said matter of factly.

"Fine." The Reihard hopped out of his Wing Pack.

"One unit slated for reparation. Unknown technology. Requires a working model. Awaiting model. Awaiting other three damaged units."

"'Other three damaged units?' Man, why can't this thing talk normally?" Lloyd moaned.

"They must mean the entry plugs. They were pretty dinged up." Asuka said.

"That's true. Zelos, just drop the whole pack on that thing." Shinji said.

Zelos did so, and the automated robot wheeled over to the right hand door, and entered. "Reparation will commence. You will be informed upon task completion. The recreation room is now open." The door on the left slid open. "Permission granted to use the facilities of this base."

Regal smiled, "It appears this building likes us." They walked into the recreation center.

Raine turned towards him, "Or it could be a trap."

The rec room was nothing really special. Just a few tables and chairs, a computer terminal, and a small kitchen. There was also a small bedroom with three beds in a secondary chamber.

Raine's jaw dropped as she saw the computer terminal in the wall. "This...this...is amazing! This predates the holographic imaging technology of the Desians."

Asuka shrugged, "What are you getting so excited about? It's just a computer. Everyone on Earth has one."

"Com...pew...ter? What does it do?" Lloyd tapped his hand on his leg.

"This particular one connects to a network of computers in a moderated mainframe managed by the MAGI supercomputers that store vast amount of information." Rei sat down at the terminal.

"I don't know what you just said, but you can get it to work, right?"

"Yes." She turned on the computer and it booted up. "Pilot Ikari. Pilot Soryu. I believe you would wish to see this."

Shinji and Asuka looked over her shoulders as the others crowded around them. The screen read, VIDEO DIARY: AKAGI RITSUKO, LATEST ENTRY. Ayanami pressed the play button.

"This is it. We have one hour left before we destroy the Twelfth Angel. I really wish we could have saved Shinji, but Gendo's orders were absolute. If the Twelfth doesn't die, the world is doomed. If Unit 01 is destroyed, the world is doomed. If the pilot is dead...well, we'll find a replacement and the world will survive.

"Even so, without Shinji's piloting skills, I'm skeptical about the outcome of this war. I've pushed up the schedule to give us the slightest chance of pulling him out alive, but it's highly unlikely. I've convinced Ikari to speed up the acquisition of Unit 03. I have already received a report from the Marduke Institute on the next pilot. If we use the right incentive, he'll pilot, but his relationship with Shinji worries me. He's seen what it's like in Eva, so he'll be very hard to convince, but he WILL join us.

"Time is running short. I must return to my post. Misato, please forgive me for not being able to save Shinji."

"Shinji, was it that grim of a situation?" Regal stood next to him.

"Unfortunately, yes. I almost died there. For a while, I thought I did."

"I'm sorry you've had to endure so much pain." Collette whispered.

Asuka ignored the conversation. "But how is this possible? Wondergirl, where are all these entries stored in memory?"

Rei looked up towards her. "The MAGI. Each individual file is saved in two of the three MAGI for a backup if one fails."

Asuka didn't hear a word she said after "The MAGI." She dashed out of the rec room and into the main chamber. She climbed the steps up to the top of the tall pillar. She placed her hands on the large flat surface and felt the engravings on the top and gasped. She flew down the steps faster than ever before. She ran into the room yelling "Shinji! Wondergirl!" She was out of breath when she reached them.

"Asuka? What's wrong?" Shinji looked concerned.

"It...it's...Melchoir. The computer is the MAGI Melchoir!"

"What?! That isn't possible, is it? The MAGI were no where near the battlefield."

"How certain are you that it is a MAGI computer?" Rei asked, not taking her eyes off of the screen as she worked.

"On the very top of the podium are the engraved letters of its title, exactly like what the computers look like in Central Dogma."

"Show me." Rei stood up and walked to the door. Asuka took the lead in the small hallway as the rest of the group filed in behind.

A spindly looking robot blocked the door to the central chamber. "Apologies. Organics may not pass."

"What is the meaning of this?" Rei answered sharply, "We wish to see proof of the identity of the computer system. Override protocol Angelus and let us through."

"Override overridden. Organics may not pass until construction is complete."

"You let me through a moment ago." Asuka placed her hands on her hips.

"Construction had not commenced. Work conducted is dangerous to organics, therefore organics cannot pass. If the organics mission necessitates proof of Melchior, search the memory of Melchoir."

"Geez, does everything around here talk weird?" Lloyd tapped his hand on his leg.

"I believe it means that we should check the memory banks with the computer in the rec room for proof." Raine turned to him.

"Affirmative."

"When will construction be complete?" Rei got to the point.

"Estimated time: twelve hours. Recommend use of sleeping quarters until then." The party turned around, despondent.

Shinji cooked a fabulous dinner, and everyone went to their own separate functions afterwards. Rei returned to the computer to do some more investigating. Zelos walked up to her with a chair and sat on it.

Zelos watched the computer screen flash by words that made no sense. He shook his head free of them and turned towards admiring Rei. The girl spoke without diverting her attention. "You are bothering me."

"I didn't say a word."

"Your presence is disturbing. Do you have something to speak with me of?"

"I'm just wondering if you can actually read all that Cockatrice scratch." He pointed his thumb towards the screen.

"I can. I am versed in the basic codes of the MAGI language. My purpose requires me to."

"And just what is your purpose?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with. If this conversation is over, please leave me to my work."

"Fine, suit yourself. I just thought you could use some company." He got up and took his chair, but before he left completely, he turned around. "It's sad to see you like this Rei. No woman, especially one as beautiful as you, should ever have to be like the empty shell you seem to be."

He left and Rei missed a keystroke. It was quickly corrected and she continued on working.

The group retired to their beds. In some cases, the floor, due to the bedchamber being too small. Rei still continued to type through the night. Asuka stood up with a glazed look in her eyes. She went to the bathroom. Still glazed over, she took her blankets and plopped them next to Shinji's. She laid down on them, and went to sleep again.

From the noise, Shinji slowly opened his eyes to see the redhead sleeping inches from his face. He gasped quietly, and sat up, breathing heavily. He saw the computer monitor's glow on Rei's face and decided to go talk to her. A small frown appeared on Asuka's face. Shinji sat next to Rei.

"You should be sleeping." He said.

"As should you."

"Asuka woke me up. She's sleepwalking again."

"I see."

"Making any progress?"

"I believe I have discovered the final entry into the MAGI computer bank before Melchoir arrived here."

"Why has it taken so long to find?"

"For by some unknown reason, Melchoir continued its functions even after separating from the other two MAGI."

"Odd. So what does it say?" Rei hit the enter key.

TIME OF ENTRY: 1906.48 HOURS

WARNING. AT FIELD DETECTED. PATTERN BLUE. DETERMINING LOCATION:

LOCATION DETERMINED: CENTRAL DOGMA.

WARNING. AT FIELD INVERSION DETECTED. SEA OF DIRAC CONFIRMED.

WARNING. DIRAC SEA INSTABILITY DETECTED. INCREASING ENERGY READINGS.

WARNING. CONNECTION LOST WITH BALTHASAR.

WARNING. CONNECTION LOST WITH CASPAR. SWITCHING TO STAND ALONE.

END OF LINE.

"So it saw the Dirac Sea coming." Shinji read on.

"So it seems. Take note of the time stamp."

"1906.48 hours, so?"

"1903 was the exact time the Angel began to crack and fissure. When you escaped."

"So the MAGI got split up the exact same time as we were transported to this world, right?"

"Correct."

"But why did the MAGI go? They were no where near the fight, right?"

"There have been references to a theory that Melchoir came up with recently. I require a bit more time to find it."

"Do you mind if I sit and watch? No one should be alone in times like this."

"Your presence will not hinder my progress."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Shinji watched her type, and the rhythmic typing relaxed him. He laid his head down in his arms and fell asleep.

A few hours later, Shinji slowly awoke to a voice in his ear. "Ikari."

Shinji rubbed his eyes and looked up. "Umm...Ayanami? What is it?"

"I believe I have found the file."

"File?" He yawned. "Oh, that MAGI file you were looking for. You found it? What does it say?"

"The information itself is very complex. I will attempt to translate. The MAGI found a correlation from the Twelfth and a fungus. You are familiar with the biology of fungi's roots correct?"

"If you mean a mushroom cluster's roots spread out in a circle, and at the end can sprout other mushroom clumps, then yes."

"The Twelfth was similar to an intelligent fungus. It controlled its Sea of Dirac and forced it to emerge in different places in its desperation to survive. The orange lines Pilot Soryu and I observed when you were breaking free most likely were those roots. It stretched out towards the MAGI and formed a Dirac Sea there. But upon its death knell, the Angel lost the stability of the Dirac Sea and it sent us and Melchoir here."

"Wait. If all three MAGI were in the midst of the Dirac Sea, then where are the other two?"

"Unknown. As I said before, this is only Melchoir's theory. There is no way to test such a theory. They could be here somewhere, or they could have been destroyed in the unstable Dirac Sea."

"Hmm. Okay, that's a problem. But let's not worry about that right now. What time is it?"

"Approximately 0530 hours."

"Good, then I should make some breakfast. Feel like helping, Ayanami?"

"No. There is still work that must be completed. I must decline."

Rei returned to her work as Shinji left for the kitchen.

Asuka awoke to the smell of a heavenly breakfast: Pancakes and bacon. All the others drooled in their sleep as Shinji continued to make the fluffy concoctions. 'I really love that idiot's cooking, especially when he makes pancakes. Not like I'd tell him that.'

Shinji slid a plate under her nose. "Good morning, Asuka. Sleep well?"

"Ya, sure did. I won't bother asking how well you slept."

"What does that mean?"

"So how long did you and Rei make out for in the middle of the night?!"

"Wh..what?! How can you say such things?!" Shinji blurted out as he turned red.

"Of course I'm sure it was rather easy for you, she being a lifeless shell and all." She smiled as she stuffed some bacon into her mouth. The redhead pointed with her fork. "And your pancakes are burning."

Shinji squeaked, "Aah!" as he attempted to save his batch of pancakes.

Asuka sighed. "I take it back. You wouldn't have the spine to try something with that living doll."

"I am not a doll."

Asuka realized who was sitting next to her and jumped. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." Rei said as she took a plate of pancakes handed to her. "I am not a doll, and as long as we are on this mission together, I would request that you not designate me as such."

"Like that'll happen. I don't take orders from dolls."

"It was not an order, but a request."

"Hmmph."

Rei heard a faint dripping from behind her, and turned around to see Zelos. For the first time, he didn't need to be roused, and he was drooling onto the floor from the smell of breakfast. Asuka turned her head as well and laughed. "Oh yeah, sure Zelos, that'll make the girls want you. Wipe your face off and start eating."

Zelos snapped out of his stupor and walked to another chair. "Another Earthen piece of perfection today, Shinji?"

"I wouldn't call it perfection. They are kind of lopsided today. These pans aren't exactly the most even in the world." He slid a plate in front of the young man.

"What is this stuff?"

"That's called Pancakes and Bacon. It's a specialty on the western part of our world. Try it with that brown syrup and some butter."

Zelos took one bite of the meal and stood up. He walked around the counter and enveloped Shinji in a hug from behind. "You. Are. My. Hero! If I didn't already have one at home, I'd hire you as a chef. What's your secret? Huh? Come on, you can tell me."

Shinji shook free of his embrace and continued cooking. "Nothing special. I just make the food like I would normally. I don't know why you think it tastes so good."

"I believe I may have an answer to that." Raine said as the rest of the group approached. "Shinji, may I observe while you cook?"

"Um, sure." He continued to fry and flip the pancakes. After everyone had received a plateful, Raine and Shinji sat down. Compliments to the chef came from all directions. "Um, so why does my food taste so good Professor?"

"Mana."

"Huh?"

"Every being exists because of the Mana within them. When we eat, we gain the Mana that the being before it had. And when we cook the food, some of our own Mana gets placed into it. This amount is proportional to the amount of Mana inside the cook's body and their skill at cooking. Though Genis and I have high Mana reserves, Genis is the better cook, and therefore gives more Mana to everyone. Shinji, your Mana reserves are extremely high, and with your skill as well, you provide a substantial amount of Mana to all of us. That is why your dishes are so delectable."

"So the Wonder Chef's Mana reserves are also very high?" Collette looked up from her plate.

"Most likely, yes."

"That's actually really interesting." Lloyd said. "I always thought it was talent alone that did it. Shinji, you rock. Do you have a recipe for this too?"

"I think so. Here it is."

"Obtained the recipe for Pancakes."

Breakfast was completed, and the dishes were finished. Rei completed her work on the computer and logged out. A few moments later, the spindly robot entered.

"Announcement. Construction complete. Central hall is now open to organics. Announcement. Repairs to mechanical equipment complete. Awaiting pickup in Central hall. Announcement. Thank you for your patience. Melchoir hopes organics enjoyed their stay. Announcement. Central hall performance shall begin shortly. Organics presence requested."

"Well it's about time we were allowed to leave. This place is getting old." Sheena said.

"So we came here for nothing?" Genis complained.

"Not necessarily. We have gotten the Reihard repaired." Presea walked up next to him.

"What is this 'performance' you reference to?" Raine stared at the robot.

"Farewell festivities and thanks for utilizing these facilities."

"I see. Shall we go?" Raine asked the others.

"My interest is peaked." Lloyd smiled.

"Your interest is always peaked until you get bored with it." Genis looked back at him.

"I too am interested. This is not in the MAGI's original programming." Rei spoke up.

"Then we must hurry if we wish to attend." Regal passed the robot as it slid aside.

The others followed behind him, with Rei, Shinji, and Asuka at the back of the group. Asuka whispered. "If this isn't a part of a MAGI program, then what is it?"

"Unknown." Rei whispered back.

"Do you think it could be...." As the main group entered the Central hall, three glass containers slid down from the hallway ceiling onto the pilots. Shinji completed his sentence. "A trap!"

Zelos felt the hotness level of the party drop drastically and turned around. Upon seeing the three pilots' plight, he drew his blade. "Everyone, draw your weapons!" As the others turned to see what was going on, a brown circle of light surrounded the redhead. "Hang on guys. We'll get you out. Stone Blast!" A few rocks erupted from the floor and bounced off of the glass. The bottom dropped out from Rei's feet and she dropped from sight.

Lloyd drew his swords and charged Asuka's capsule. "Get back!" He did an up, down, up, down slash. "Twin Tiger Blade!" The only result was a small scratch in the glass. Asuka disappeared from view.

Collette unfurled her wings and pulled out her Chakran. She was instantly next to Shinji's capsule. "This just has to work!" She spun three Chakran in midair, attempting to slice through the glass. "Triple Ray Satellite!" The cuts were enough to knock the top off of the glass, and Shinji jumped out just before he was sucked under as well.

"Asuka! Rei!" He climbed to his feet.

"SHINJI!" Asuka's voice came from the Central hall. Everyone dashed into the vast room. At the bottom of the staircase going up to the top of the computer pillar was a capsule, containing Asuka. "Get me out of this thing, idiot!"

On the top of the pedestal hovered the three regular Reihards, attached by cables to the three entry plugs, which were anchored to the platform. In between the plugs was Rei, standing, but only semi-conscious. Lloyd cried out, "What's going on here?!"

The computer's voice boomed, almost evilly. "NERV's purpose: To identify and eliminate all Angels to prevent the destruction of the world. Angelic properties detected in subject Rei Ayanami. Elimination must take place."

Shinji ran up to Asuka's prison. "Asuka, are you okay?"

"Just shut up and get me out of here!"

He pulled back and rammed the glass capsule. It didn't budge. "Do it together! On three. Ready?! Three!" Both pilots slammed the capsule in an attempt to make it tip over. Shinji held his shoulder. "This isn't working!" Then the screaming started. "Rei!"

Rei was being electrocuted by the three entry plugs, supplied with power by the three Reihards. Her cries of pain were overshadowed by the unfeeling voice of the computer. "Elimination commencing."

"Shinji, stand back! Asuka, get down!" Regal cried and they both obeyed. The burly man charged the capsule. He swiped his legs at it three times and made an upward kick as he jumped. "Crescent Dark Moon!" In the air, he struck straight down at the pod. "Eagle Fall!" He hopped backwards. "Presea!"

The pink haired girl swiped upwards twice at the spot Regal hit. "Resolute Infliction!" A small crack appeared on the glass. "Now Zelos!"

Zelos formed a red ring around him. "Fire Ball!" Three balls of flame landed in the same spot as the crack. "Genis!"

A light blue ring formed around the half-elven boy. "Icicle!" A chunk of ice erupted from the floor. The crack spread wide from the change in temperature. "Lloyd, now it's up to you!"

Lloyd jumped high into the air. "Rising Falcon!" On impact, the crack spread around the entire circumference of the capsule and it shattered. The top piece fell away, freeing the redhead girl from her prison.

Asuka jumped out, with revenge in her eyes. Rei's screams drove Shinji and Asuka up the staircase with the rest following close behind. Halfway up, the fourth Reihard floated into their path. The spindly robot rode it and wrapped itself around it. "Do not interfere."

"Release Ayanami, now!" Shinji yelled.

"Negative. Elimination must commence. Non-compliant organics will be destroyed."

"You'll pay! No one traps Asuka Langley Soryu!" The enraged girl drew her dagger.

"Those who attempt to stop Melchoir will be destroyed by Melchoir. Begin elimination sequence."

(Organize your party to include Shinji and Asuka.)

1. Shinji

2. Asuka

3. Raine

4. Genis

"START!" Shinji charged. BATTLE SCREEN!

"Organics will fall to mechanical superiority."

"I don't think so!" Asuka growled.

"You forget that machines have one glaring flaw, Melchoir." Shinji snarled.

"And that is?"

"THEY WERE MADE BY HUMANS!"

The battle was on. "Bring him down to his knees!" Asuka yelled. Raine dug into her pocket and found an item.

She raised it to the sky. "There!" She used the Magic Lens on the Reihard/robot combination.

Melchoir

50000/50000 HP

1000/1000 TP

S: Wind, Light, Darkness

AA: Lightning

Asuka was first to reach the floating robot. She sliced its underbelly with an icy cut and flipped the dagger over in her hand and jumped, attempting to plunge it into the robot's head. An electric beam fired from the front of the Reihard at point blank range before that could happen, and she spiraled to the ground, landing with a hard thud. She blinked red as she slowly got up.

Shinji headed towards the opponent and ducked below the attack, watching Asuka fall to the ground behind him. He rose high into the air and slapped his Lightning cards onto the wings of the Reihard. As they shocked it, he dropped and attacked from below with two more strikes. The Reihard's engine flipped over and blew him backwards, damaging him, but still keeping him on his feet. He kept up his relentless charge.

Genis surrounded himself in a powder-blue ring as he bounced his Kendama. "Cool off. Ice Tornado!" The hovering craft became surrounded by a white vortex. Chunks of ice hit it at varying speeds, doing 5 combo hits of damage.

Raine charged up her spell. "I'll help. Field Barrier!" A magical wave spread out from her and enveloped the members of the team. Their defense stats were raised.

Asuka got up and raised her blade to her face. A red ring appeared around her. "Enough of this crap! Flaming Drive!" Asuka slammed her blade into the ground and a pillar of fire erupted and slid towards the enemy. It did its work, doing three combo hits, but it didn't flinch.

Shinji shot at its underbelly again, but jumped away as it dipped low to blow him away again. "Seal Barrage!" He sent 5 cards flying at the enemy, and it did a 10 hit combo from the electric discharge. Melchoir reciprocated with another laser blast, and it spun the boy to the ground. It also clipped Genis, making him drop his white charging ring.

Raine closed in on finishing another charge. "Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life! Revitalize!" An odd purple scrawl covered the floor, and all of the children returned to full health.

Asuka heard a chime, and she knew what she had to do next. She closed in on the enemy, and forced Melchoir to lower itself. Then she did a 1 HP slash. "Let's get it started, shall we?" The Unison attack began. "Demonic Thrust." She created a three hit shockwave and stabbed the machine for a fourth hit.

"Seal Barrage." Shinji fired his cards at the enemy, making the combo count at 14.

"Indignation!" Genis called and a purple light enveloped Melchoir. Some odd scrawl in purple covered the ground around it as well.

"Ray!" Raine's ball of sparks appeared in the sky. It rained down three direct shots, including the final one straight down. That brought the combo count to 17. Genis' Indignation struck a giant lightning bolt down upon the floating enemy, tossing it aside as it did around 3000 points of damage. Combo count: 18. Raine and Genis glowed. "Get ready!" She said.

"Prism Stars!" Genis called as both raised their magical weapons to the sky. Rainbow colored diamonds blew through Melchoir at high speeds, doing an insane amount of damage. The unison attack ended with a final combo count of 48.

Melchoir lowered to the floor, and Asuka took a low slash to it. Melchoir glowed black as it entered Over Limit mode. It rose up and pulled back to its original position. There, it uncoupled itself from the Reihard and let it drop to the ground. It began to float on its own, and all six of its thin spindly legs curled upwards. As Asuka and Shinji continued to hack and slash and shock it, Genis finished charging up a white ring. "Gravity Well!" A dark half sphere covered the robot and it slowly got damaged, but didn't flinch. After 5 hits, the sphere disappeared.

Melchoir launched the spiny tips of its legs into the air and they rained down on the field, exploding on impact. Raine was knocked to the ground, as well as Shinji. But Genis and Asuka still stayed on their feet. The black cloud disappeared from the evil mechanoid.

Asuka, burning with rage, went at a dead run towards the metallic monster. Melchoir stretched out its legs horizontally and spun into her, doing a very painful 6 hit combo. Asuka became stunned and dizzy. Melchoir pulled back all of its legs behind it and plunged them into Asuka for another 6 hits, where she fell to the floor. "Shin...ji." She cried out in her last breath.

"No! This can't be happening!" The boy cried as he got up, witnessing the whole attack. Raine instantly enveloped herself in a white ring, but Shinji didn't take notice. He drove himself to the edge of insanity as his heart beat in his head. He hovered four cards in the air like the points on a compass. He pressed his hands in the center where the four cards met. A hundred cards flew out of that center and through Melchoir. They surrounded the mechanical monstrosity. Shinji's face was zoomed in upon, his eyes wide and "Gyyyaaaaaahhhh!!!" screaming like a madman. A two pronged red spear came down from the sky and pierced the creature. Shinji fell to the floor, along with his opponent. His Seal of Final Judgment was complete.

Melchoir rose faster than Shinji, but not fast enough to prevent Raine from using her attack. "Bring back this soul from purgatory! Resurrection!" A red and pink ring surrounded Asuka's body and purple wings spread out above her. She got up, recovering a third of her health and TP.

Melchoir was angry that his recent kill was brought back, so he began to head towards the confused girl. Shinji got up and saw Asuka in her plight. He became enveloped in black. "I mustn't run away." Instead he ran towards the relentless monster.

Genis bought Shinji some running time as he pulled out another spell. "Dreaded Wave!" The ground below Melchoir became indented and waves of dirt shook out of it at an amazing speed, doing enough damage to make the robot flinch.

Shinji slapped the robot hard with his cards, and he put two on at the same time. "Shock Seal!"

Two white waves, one horizontal and one vertical emerged from Melchoir. "Test complete. Identity confirmed. Worthiness proven." The evil machine collapsed to the floor. The battle was over.

Shinji said the last words as they gained 2 Brass and 3 Fine Pellets. "You're just like the Angels. You got what you deserved."

The spindly robot fell to the stairs and rolled off the side, crashing to the floor. Shinji and Asuka jumped over the fallen Reihard. Rei's screams turned into whimpers. As the two other children reached the pedestal, her body convulsed and she screeched. A pale blue orb appeared in her necklace and glowed.

The spindly robot staggered up, and looked to the stage above. "Objective complete. Assembly shutdown."

The Reihards were released from the cables and they floated softly to the ground. The electric charge stopped passing through the entry plugs, and Rei was released from her shock treatment. Shinji and Asuka caught her before she fell, and she lost consciousness. The two pilots laid the third on the pedestal, awaiting Raine and her medical abilities. Collette and Zelos were the first to bound up the steps. They both jerked back a step upon seeing Rei.

"Is that what I think it is?" Zelos was wide eyed.

"Its color is different, but it has to be." Collette looked closer at the sleeping Chosen.

Asuka looked at both of them, "What's with you two? Professor Raine will fix her up, right?"

"It isn't that. Shinji, look at her necklace." Collette motioned to him.

The boy noticed the blue sphere embedded in the necklace he made on her chest. He also noticed a small trickle of blood running from the skin around it. "Is...is that...a Cruxius Crystal?"

Raine ran up the steps, her staff at the ready. She gasped when she noticed the jewel, but smiled a short time later. "This should make it easier to treat her now."

Shinji overheard some voices below, and he looked over the side. Lloyd, Regal, and Genis were surrounding the spindly voice of Melchoir. They all had their weapons at the ready. "You little metallic snake! You tried to kill one of my friends!" Lloyd pressed his blade on what he hoped was the robot's neck.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take you apart bolt by bolt." Genis bobbed his Kendama menacingly.

"Answers. Now." Regal towered over the robot.

"Subject Ayanami in danger of spark extinguishing. Electric shock necessary to save. Objective complete. Subject Ayanami saved."

"That's a lousy excuse. Why didn't you tell us?" Lloyd pressed against it harder.

"Internal programming. Identity test necessary for second objective. Deception necessary for identity test. Objective two complete. Subjects Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu confirmed."

"Why? Why all of this? Why did you need to check for Shinji's and Asuka's identities?" Genis snarled.

"Objective three. Final security lock releasing." The entry plugs lowered to the floor next to the Reihards and the back wall slid out, revealing a small inset.

Shinji and Asuka turned to look inside. There were two small white stones on the floor, a smooth glass panel with lights on it at mid level, and at eye level of them were two stone engravings. One had a picture of Unit 01 in berserker mode with its mouth open, and the other had a picture of Unit 02 with its faceplate stretched to its limits revealing its four white eyes. Shinji spoke without looking away. "Asuka those are...."

"Our Evas. Could it be that our Evas are here?"

Shinji and Asuka walked towards it in a trance. Zelos yelled after them. "What do you think you're doing? It's obviously another trap!"

Shinji looked back at him. "And if it isn't? We may never be able to save our home if we don't find our Evas."

Asuka whirled back at the redheaded man. "We have to try."

"But..." Zelos's words stopped in his mouth as they turned back towards the inset and stepped onto the stones.

An image of a left handprint appeared before each of them. They placed their hands on it in synch. It scanned their hands, and the stone tablets slid away with a grinding sound. They each reached into the small chambers and pulled out a small sphere each. They stepped away from the panels and examined their little treasures.

"Objective three complete. Returning to normal computer functions. Melchoir hopes organics enjoyed their stay. It is now safe to turn off your robooooooooooooooot." The machine shut down and the wall returned to its normal place.

Collette carried Rei down the steps as Shinji and Asuka became mystified by their purple and red gems respectively.

As Presea retrieved the Wing Pack from next to the fallen Riehard and returned the Riehards and the Entry Plugs to it, the group met down on the ground floor. Rei began to come to, and she stood, with a little support from Collette. Raine noticed her. "Take it easy, Rei. You've been through a lot, but you should be able to recover fast."

"What transpired?"

Presea returned. "Your capture was a deception to save your life. The Cruxius Crystal will no longer pollute your body in the way it has been. The key crest on your chest now holds its power."

"It looks like that was its goal the entire time." Lloyd said, shrugging.

Shinji and Asuka remained strangely quiet, still mesmerized by their trinkets. Sheena limped over to them. "Hey, you two all right?"

Shinji pulled out first. "Huh? Oh yeah. Just thinking is all."

"What's that you've got in your hands?"

Asuka pulled out. "These? We got them from up on the pedestal. It seems like they were supposed to be for us. But mine is way cooler looking than Shinj-idiot's over here."

Sheena moved closer to get a better look. "So what are they?"

"You tell us." Asuka responded.

Sheena almost fell over as they opened their hands, revealing the two orbs. "Ll...Lloyd! Look at this!"

"Hmm?" Lloyd walked over to them as Sheena pointed to the pilots' hands. He took two steps backwards upon seeing the objects. "Woah! No way! I didn't think they came in those colors!"

"You're confusing me." Shinji blinked.

"That's easy for you to do, idiot." Asuka sneered.

Shinji muttered something unintelligible, and Lloyd grinned a huge grin. "Well you'll finally get your wish, Asuka. It looks like we'll be able to put you in the fight now that you have Exspheres."

Everyone else took a step back, and Collette lost her balance and fell to the floor. "EXSPHERES!?"

"Yep, that's right. Though I've never seen a purple or a bright red one until now, those are definitely Exspheres."

Shinji looked down at his new belonging. "This thing is really an Exsphere?"

"Take good care of it, Shinji. Because..." Genis looked down at his own Exsphere. "These things are made at the cost of a person's life. They wouldn't want to be lost or thrown away. At least, I know Marble wouldn't want that."

"But who's life?" Shinji spoke aloud to himself. "I wish I knew."

Asuka nudged Shinji. "Who cares who they were as long as we fight on their behalf, right?"

"I suppose so."

"Let us go." Rei stood up straight.

"Are you sure, Rei? You did get electrocuted after all." Regal looked concerned.

"I will be fully healed soon. This will not hinder our travels."

"All right then, let's get out of here!" Lloyd chuckled as he raised his fist.

The group walked up the dirt steps out of the crater. Shinji looked back at the odd tower. As the others walked around him, Presea stopped next to him and looked back as well.

"Something troubles you, Shinji."

"We may be leaving the only link I have to home."

"Why are you concerned?"

"It feels so comfortable there. So familiar, so...earthy. I don't really want to leave."

"If you stay, you will not find Earth, only a portion of it that will keep you existing, but not living. To search is the only way to find what you are looking for. You must search for your true happiness."

"I suppose you're right. Thank you."

"You are welcome."

They turned from the sight and continued walking up the stairs towards the others.

"So where to, Lloyd?" Zelos said.

"I believe we have a Summon Spirit to make a pact with, right Sheena?" He responded.

"That's right. Celsius is supposed to live in the Temple of Ice, which is nearby Flanoir in the northwest continent."

"Alright. Then we're off to Flanoir! Is everyone ready?" The original group acknowledged in the affirmative. "How about you three?" He asked to the pilots. Shinji and Asuka smiled as they held up their hands, showing off their Key Crest encased Exspheres. They and Rei nodded.

Soon the group was airborne, flying on the newly repaired Reihard, towards the northwest, and their next adventure.


	8. ToE CH7

Tales of Evangelion CH7

The Grip of the Ice Queen

The three pilots hung back on the fourth Riehard, following the other three towards the northwestern continent. The rocky islands around it were capped in white. They came within view of an odd round building in blue and gray on one of the smaller islands. Z-Skit: Renegade Problems.

Shinji's, Asuka's, Lloyd's, and Collette's heads.

Shinji: (surprised look)

Asuka: (normal look) What's up with you Shinji?

Shinji: (panicing) I what? (looking depressed) I was just wondering what that round building was.

Collette: (surprised) Round building?

Lloyd: (wincing) Oh that's the Renegade base. They're bad news.

Collette: (smiling) So that's the Renegade base? It looks like the one in Sylverant.

Asuka: (grinning slyly) So why they bad news? They been kicking your asses all over the pace?

Lloyd: (downcast) No it's not that. It's just first they tried to kill Collette, then saved us.

Shinji: (surprised) Really?

Lloyd: Then they tried to capture me, and then we found out that their leader, Yuan, is a part of Cruxius. He's an angel too, and now we don't even know if he is loyal to Cruxius or not.

Shinji: Wow. You've had it rough. It also sounds pretty confusing.

Asuka: Not as confusing the Commander's plans.

Shinji: (wincing) Point.

The four Riehards passed the base with little trouble, and soon arrived on the mainland, which was covered in white. They decided to land. The group looked around. On the left in the distance was a large city, and on the right was nothing but a cold wasteland.

Lloyd turned left, "I guess that's Flanoir."

"Yep, sure is. I'd recognize it anywhere. It's a great place for sightseeing." Sheena said.

"Have you been there before?" Regal approached.

"Once.... I was sent here for treatment after...after...." Her eyes turned dark.

"You don't have to say anymore, Sheena. I think we already know." Collette placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks."

The others said nothing for a second until someone giggled. Lloyd began to turn. "Hey, what's going on over th...agh!" A glob of white powder hit his face and slowly fell off. He spit. "Hey! Who threw that?"

Asuka gave her patented Don't-suspect-me-I'm-too-cute look as she shoved a snowball into Shinji's hands. The boy tossed it in the air, playing with it with a large grin on his face. "I can't believe it! Snow! Real snow! I've never seen snow before!" He said.

Lloyd and Genis looked down and gripped a bit of the frozen stuff in their hands. "This IS snow! It's so cold!" The swordsman said.

"It's so cool!" Genis grinned.

Asuka snatched Shinji's snowball in midair and slammed it at the boy. Genis was knocked down. "Hey!" Asuka used the innocent look again and Shinji just grumbled.

Asuka couldn't hold it in anymore, she started to erupt in laughter. "Hahahaha! Hey Lloyd, you've got snow in your hair."

"So it was you!" Lloyd balled some snow in his hands. "Well then, take this!" He cocked his arm to throw, smiling evilly when he was hit by one in the back of the head. He dropped the snowball and whirled around. Collette stuck her tongue out at him and tossed a snowball into the back of Genis's head. The half-elf landed face first in the snow. The children started to laugh. "Hey Genis, you okay?"

As the magical boy lifted his face, they realized he was laughing too. "This is awesome!" He picked up a snowball like the others. "Now who should I kill?"

All five of them poised to attack each other, still laughing. Suddenly the laughing stopped when they each were hit in the back of the head by a snowball. Presea leaned on her axe examining her glove with a small smile on her face, and Rei looked out into the distance with her hands behind her back with the left corner of her mouth turned up. "Wondergirl! You threw that!" Asuka grumbled.

"You have yet to prove that."

"Your hand is dripping wet! That's proof enough for me! Get her guys!" Asuka prepped her arm while Shinji and Genis slowly took aim.

Lloyd and Collete were still staring at Presea, who's smile widened as she lifted the blade of her axe from the ground, revealing a pile of snowballs. "Uh-oh!" Lloyd began to throw the snowball at her, but she swung her axe over her head and spun it around to meet the pile. The flat of her blade hit the pile, sending a barrage of snowballs into the five children, knocking them on their backs. Lloyd staggered up as Presea put her Axe away. The swordsman grabbed a giant handful of snow and molded it. "Why you! Take this!" He hit her in the shoulder. The first shots were fired, and soon a full fledged snowball fight came into being.

"They seem to be having a good time." Regal said watching them.

"Lloyd can act so immature sometimes." Sheena crossed her arms.

"Come on, what's wrong with a little fun now and then. I'd join them if these weren't my good clothes." Zelos grinned.

"Lloyd, Genis, and Collette have never seen snow before. Sylvarant doesn't have icy places, we only have desert, even in the northernmost continent." Raine saw a snowball coming at her, and she swatted it down with her staff. "We have to remember that they are still young, and deserve to have fun."

Rei, miraculously unhit by the chilled projectiles, joined the group. "We do not have snow on Earth either. Ever since Second Impact, the climate changed enough to cast the world into an eternal summer. That was before the three of us were born."

"Hmm?" Sheena stared into the snowy mist and saw some shadows. They approached and became clearer. Four people in giant blue and yellow penguin suits. "Who are they?"

"That is a good question. I have never seen the like." Regal answered.

The four people in costume smiled as they waddled up to the snowball fighting group. Everyone stopped throwing snowballs. Noticing her chance, Presea slipped away to the adult group. The one who appeared to be the leader spoke. "Hey, looks like you're having fun! Can we join you?"

"Um, sure thing. We're okay with that, right guys?" Lloyd asked.

Shinji shrugged, Collette nodded, and Asuka let out a "Hell yeah!"

"Then let's set the rules of the game. There are none except for the first one." The lead one sneered. "The losers pay with their lives!"

"You're joking right?" Asuka crossed her arms.

"I'm quite serious. You have defiled our sacred ground with your foolish games. You will now face the wrath of the Penguinists! Prepare to die!" BATTLE SCREEN!

Lloyd, Collette, Shinji, and Asuka vs. 4 Penguinist. Lloyd opened it up today. "Let's go all out!"

Collette pulled a Magic Lens from a pocket and raised it high in the air. "Here!" The Penguinists were scanned.

3680/3680 HP

145/145 TP

AA: Ice

Weak: Fire

Str: Water, Ice

Asuka raised her blade to her face as a blue ring wrapped around her. Shinji and Lloyd charged the first two Penguinists. Shinji's Lightning cards slapped one Penguinist silly, until he bent over to guard. Lloyd neared the second Penguinist, but was stopped as he threw two snowballs at him. Then he got close enough to do a few strong melee cuts.

The third Penguinist had a hard time choosing its target, and the fourth just stood there, waiting to fill in a spot if one of the others died. Collette closed her eyes and became ridged. A holy light enveloped her. The third Penguinist found its target in her, and threw four snowballs at her. Two missed, one didn't faze her, but the other made her flinch. "I can't concentrate." She backed away and started again.

The third Penguinist backed up and rushed forward on its belly, ready to slide into Asuka. A split second before, Asuka finished charging her ability. "Freeze! Chilling Drive!" She slammed her ice saber into the Penguinist's head and a pillar of ice rose out and headed towards the first Penguinist. It didn't do any damage to either of them. "What the hell?!" She was impacted by the moving Penguinist and she flipped over it. She whirled around and started slashing the annoying creature, but it still didn't take damage. "Why isn't it working?"

A voice called out to her from a distance. It was Zelos. "Your attacks are ice, and they have an affinity to it. Switch your weapon! Here, use this Sand Blade!" A long brown sword landed in the snow next to her, and sand poured out of it on impact. "Thanks!" She grabbed the hilt of the sword and flung the other one away. She tested it out on the head of the opposing Penguinist. Sand covered its face as the blade cut into it. "Me likey!" She continued to hack her way through the offensive creature.

Shinji couldn't break the guard of the Penguinist as it crouched down. When his normal combo was up, there was a quick pause, and the Penguinist took full advantage of it. It reached into the snow and pulled out a giant snow boulder and rolled it over the boy. He was crushed by it three times before the Penguinist let it roll off into the distance. "That really hurt." He charged it again. Three slaps of his electrified seals and then he pressed two on at once. "Shock Seal!" It flinched. Shinji prepared to take another shot, but the Penguinist went on defense again. The boy flashed white. "Time to activate!" He held up one of his cards to the sky. "Teleport Seal!" In a puff of smoke, he appeared behind the Penguinist. He slapped a card on its back, breaking the guard. He attached two more cards, and then slapped one on quite hard. "Drain Seal!" He drew some TP from the enemy. He used it again, but instead he flashed white. "Well this is new! Life Seal!" He took some HP from the enemy as well. The Penguinist turned towards him.

Lloyd was having an easier time of it. He slashed and spun around on his toes. Then he jabbed the second Penguinist at blinding speeds. "Sonic Sword Rain!" The last thrust pushed the Penguinist backwards slightly. It decided to throw some snowballs at him again, but Lloyd wasn't about to take that. He jumped high into the air. "Rising Falcon!" The snowballs missed him by inches as he soared down, undercutting the Penguinist. He quickly turned around and slashed its back. Then he flipped forwards into the air, gaining altitude with each rotation. "Psi Tempest!" In doing so he cut through the creature five times, but landed with its back towards it. Four snowballs landed squarely on his back, shattering his guard. He turned black. "Okay!" He spun around and shouldered the Penguinist, and jumped into the air as a blue lion's head appeared. He slashed downwards creating a shockwave that hit his Penguinist and Shinji's. "Hunting Beast!" Shinji's Penguinist was knocked to the ground, while Lloyd's disappeared.

Now that one of the other Penguinists were out of the way, the fourth and final one joined the battle, sliding into Lloyd. Collette finished the final parts of her prayer. "Oh holy one, cast your purifying light on these corrupt souls! Judgment!" Rays of light rained down vertically from heaven randomly as everything turned black. The new Penguinist got hit in the motion of sliding, and was stopped in the act. Shinji's Penguinist was struck, and was vanquished. "How's that?" Not wanting to get in Asuka's way, she went to attack the new one. A few up and down Chakran cuts, and she jumped backwards. She bounced two red balls with yellow spikes at the enemy. "Para ball!" They hit their mark and lightning struck the Penguinist from above on contact.

Asuka was having fun toying with her opponent. But she knew it was time to cut the crap. She raised her blade from the ground and created a shockwave that did three combo hits. "Demonic Thrust!" She stabbed the enemy, pushing it backwards. She was about to use another Drive attack, but she flashed white. "Learn something new everyday! Rolling Thunder!" She raised her blade to the sky, and with both hands swiped it straight down, releasing a ball of electricity that triple hit the enemy. It went into a dizzy spin. She powered up a red ring. "Who ordered the extra crispy?! Flaming Drive!" She slammed her sword into the ground and a pillar of fire launched towards the Penguinist. The Penguinist tried to counter by rolling a snow boulder at her, but it just melted. The Penguinist was no more. "Heh. Death becomes you." She saw the others hacking away at the final Penguinist. She flashed white again. "And now for something completely different. Falcon..." She jumped into the air and disappeared into a cloud. She came out of another cloud above the Penguinist and divebombed it. "Warp!" The slash landed the final hit of the battle.

As the others gathered two Penguinist Quills and a Sage, Asuka gave the final words of the day as she brandished her sword in front of her face. "Did you really think that you could take down an Angel killer?"

Asuka twirled her blade in her hands, then sheathed it as she walked up to the awaiting group. "Thanks for the saber, Zelos. It worked great. I guess you can do something good once in a while."

Both Zelos and Sheena were opening their mouths, but nothing was coming out. "Sheena? Zelos? Are you two sick? Should I cook up something?" Shinji blinked.

"Ikari, I believe they are impressed with your and Soryu's performance." Rei stated blankly.

They nodded slowly. Sheena stepped forward towards the boy. "H...h..." She grabbed him by his collar. "How did you do that?!"

"Huh? Hey! Woah! Take it easy! What do you mean?"

"I'm talking Teleport Seal, Shinji. I don't even know that one. Plus you learned two attacks in one battle. TWO!"

"So what? So did I." Asuka stood straight and proud.

"Just what was that anyway?" Zelos finally found his voice. "I mean, the Elemental Drives were cool, but where'd you pull out Rolling Thunder? That's like my own Hell Pyre, only with electricity. And Falcon Warp? No one can move that fast!"

"Sheesh Zelos, why are you freaking? I learned Sonic Sword Rain and Super Sonic Thrust in the same battle. It's not that big a deal." Lloyd said.

"Even so, you'd think we'd hear of attacks like this beforehand." Sheena said as she realized she still held the boy up.

Shinji dusted himself off as Raine made a hypothesis. "Perhaps it's because of their background?"

"What do you mean Professor?" Collette put her hands together.

"Well considering that they come from an unknown world may be a factor, but I believe it's because of their professions. You were fighting on the front lines of a war in giant pieces of magitechnology if I understand what you've told us correctly. Such experience must have given you great abilities, and enhanced with your new Exspheres, they can only get better."

Shinji looked at the purple orb on the back of his hand. "Well I guess that means these things are working."

"I feel twice as strong." Asuka flexed a muscle. "I could probably whip you in a third of the time, Shinji."

"Hmm, Asuka whipping Shinji. That would be funny. But personally, I'd rather she do it to me instead." Zelos grinned with hearts in his eyes. Sheena and Asuka shot looks at him. "Oh crap, death glares! Did I say that out loud?"

"Very loud!" Sheena smacked him hard towards Asuka.

"Perverted dumpkoff!" Asuka pulled out a roundhouse kick, sending him skidding on the snow.

He got up slowly. "Agh, I got snow in my nose!"

Asuka flipped her hair and dragged Shinji by the arm. "Come on, let's get moving."

In the field, the party was changed around to include Lloyd, Genis, Asuka, and Rei. They turned towards Flanoir and marched forwards. They saw a Blobbo heading towards them, but a skit popped up before it could attack. Z-Skit: Feeling the Exspheres.

Shinji's and Lloyd's faces.

Shinji: (downcast) Hey Lloyd. Does the Exsphere always feel like this?

Lloyd: (confused) What do you mean?

Shinji: When we fought, I felt the power my Exsphere was giving to me, but I felt something else along with it. I think it was the person that this Exsphere was.

Lloyd: (normal) I see. Well I'm sure everyone's different, but you're probably right. The personality of the person who made the Exsphere still exists. When it gives you its power, it also shows its personality through subtle feelings. You should ask what the others feel.

Shinji: (normal) I think I will. Thanks. Um, hey Lloyd....

Lloyd: (smiling mock salute) How do I feel with mine? (Normal) This is my mother's Exsphere. She was murdered when I was around three years old. Though I never really knew her that well, I can always feel her, protecting me. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's really only a feeling that a mother's protection is.

Shinji: (thinking) I see.

Lloyd: Hey, I gotta go talk with Regal for a bit. (leaves)

Shinji: Could that be what mine is?

The entire crew trudged forward. The blobbo was only patrolling, so it turned around and went the other way. Lloyd and company sidestepped its path and continued to close on Flanoir. Then he noticed something to the left. "Hey! A discussion pad!"

As they turned towards it, Shinji leaned over towards Genis. "What's a discussion pad?"

"Lloyd always goes to these things for some reason. Basically a friendly chat between two people. Unfortunately they can get kind of embarrassing. Whatever you do, don't ask Sheena about her experience by Mizuho."

"I won't."

They continued to carry on towards the discussion pad, when a Blobbo ambushed them out of nowhere. BATTLE SCREEN!

Lloyd, Genis, Asuka, and Rei vs 2 Rouge, a Ranger, and a Sorceress. For this battle, Genis opened. "Let's get this over with."

Lloyd rushed in headlong, and Asuka was about to follow him, but the half-elf caught her attention. "Asuka, try this." He tossed her a Magic Lens.

She shrugged and turned towards the Ranger. She raised the item to the sky. "Hmph." The Ranger was scanned.

2120/2120 HP

0/0 TP

Asuka decided to make him the target of her attacks and she jumped into the air. "Falcon..." She disappeared, then divebombed the Ranger. "Warp!" The Ranger grunted at the hit.

Lloyd did his opening move as well. "Rising Falcon!" He cut the first Rogue and clipped the second.

The Sorceress began charging red, as Genis charged blue. "Take me on with magic?"

Rei began to pray towards the heavens. Halfway through her charge, she flashed white. She began an even longer charge.

Lloyd got stabbed in the back by a Rogue while he was slashing into the other. His guard was broken, and he was basically a punching bag. Asuka took notice, and she sent the Ranger into a dizzy fit. She flashed white and charged dark blue. "You really need a bath! Soaking Drive!" Once again she plunged her blade into the ground. A pylon of water leapt from the crack and moved towards the Rogue slashing Lloyd in the back. It forced that Rogue to flinch long enough for Lloyd to Psi Tempest himself away.

Genis was able to get his spell off first, and aimed it at the Sorceress. "Drown! Spread!" The Sorceress was launched into the air as an explosion of water blasted from below her feet. She was hit five times before she came back down to the ground. Needless to say, the Sorceress never got to finish her spell. Genis then started charging a red spell.

Rei started a spell chant. "As the sun governs the day, you hold the night. Lend me your power to protect those I care for most! Crescent Cage!" The background became dark, and a reflection of a white crescent moon appeared below Asuka's feet. Her defense stat was boosted, and the Ranger she was facing was in the dark side of the crescent moon. He was suddenly enveloped in complete darkness. He grunted in pain three times and was flung out onto his back on the fourth hit. The moon disappeared. Rei began to charge a white ring as if nothing happened.

Asuka, though stunned at what just happened, decided to try and finish the Ranger off. The damage was halved as he slowly got up. He kicked her in the shin. That made Asuka madder, and she slammed her sword hard against him, but the Ranger guarded. "Won't work!" He said.

Asuka payed no mind, as she raised her blade high in the air. The Ranger brought down his guard as he prepared to kick her again. The girl sneered as she drew the blade down with both hands. An electrical ball appeared on the tip of the blade. "Rolling Thunder!" The blade cut into the opponent, and the electrical shock the ball gave made him give up the ghost.

Asuka turned towards the Sorceress, who just finished a brown charge. When Asuka turned she cackled. "End of the line!" A small burst of rocks erupted from the ground under Asuka.

That hit forced her into a black cloud. "Big mistake." She said as she charged in Over Limit mode.

Lloyd made an attempt at the first Rouge again. He spun in the air, slashing the enemy four times, and speared him when he landed. "Tempest Thrust!"

The Rouge took the hits from the spiral slashes, but blocked the thrust. "What's wrong?" he taunted. Lloyd resumed his melee slashes while the second Rouge decided to move in again.

"Get him! Flame Lance!" Genis finished his spell, and it was a doosey. The second Rouge was pierced by a giant sword of flame. It exploded, taking out the first Rouge, and severely damaging the second.

Rei finished charging her spell. "You need help. Double First Aid." Lloyd and Asuka regained health.

Asuka charged the troublesome Sorceress. The enemy tried swinging her staff in defense, but it just bounced off of Asuka, who payed it no mind. She sneered as she did three sandy melee cuts. She immediately linked it into a shockwave and stab. "Demonic Thrust!" The Sorceress grunted as the last breath was taken from her.

Lloyd decided not to play games anymore as he did a 1 HP slash. He flashed white. "All right." The unison attack began. He leapt into the air and divebombed the Rogue. "Rising Falcon!"

Asuka jumped up and disappeared into a cloud. She appeared in another cloud and slammed the enemy. "Falcon Warp!"

"Ground Dasher!" Genis raised his Kendama and the earth underneath the Rouge cracked and shook as multiple rocks erupted from the fissure.

Rei complimented Genis with an earth attack of her own. "Quake!" The ground opened wide, and the Rouge fell into the hole. Then it closed up quickly, shooting him and multiple rocks into the air.

Asuka and Lloyd glowed. "Eat this!" She cried. "Confused?" She and Lloyd jumped into a cloud. A cloud appeared to each side of the enemy. Lloyd dove out of the one on the left, and Asuka out of the one on the right. They both disappeared into another cloud where they landed. A big cloud formed above the Rouge's head. And Asuka and Lloyd dove straight down at him, shoulder to shoulder. They both called out the attack at the same time. "Falcon Claws!" The Rouge grunted his last grunt as the battle ended.

As they picked up some Rice and Bread, Asuka spoke. "Who else wants to be turned into a bloody pulp?!"

"Ew!" Genis winced.

"Please save the violent speech for the next battle." Rei said calmly.

"Damned Wondergirl." Asuka huffed.

Back in the field map, they took a few more steps towards the discussion pad. A Z-skit option came up. Z-skit: Combo: Lloyd and Asuka. There weren't any monsters in sight, so it began.

Lloyd's and Asuka's faces.

Lloyd: (happy) All right, Asuka! That was beautiful!

Asuka: (happy) What do you expect from the best?!

Lloyd: As long as we keep going on like this no one will stop us!

Asuka: (innocent) I'll lure them close with my charms (devil's smile) and tear them to bits.

Lloyd: (pull-back afraid) Woah, take it easy. You're scaring me!

Asuka: Who's the next victim?!

Lloyd: H...hey, quit looking at me like that! Aaahhh! (disappears)

Asuka: (happy) You're almost as easy as Shinji!

With a few more steps, they arrived at the discussion pad. The scene immediately lapsed into a Skit with someone no one would ever expect.

Lloyd's and Kratos's faces.

Kratos: (normal) ...

Lloyd: (surprised) It's Kratos!

...What're you doing?!

I'll leave him alone.

Lloyd: What're you doing?!

Kratos: It's you. I was just looking at the sky.

Lloyd: (angry) Don't lie.

Kratos: (disbelief) ...Hm, then how about I was scheming how to get rid of those that are in Lord Yggdrasill's way. Now are you satisfied?

Lloyd: ...

Kratos: (normal) You seem well.

Lloyd: (disbelief) Wh...what?

Kratos: (curious) Lloyd, don't be so trusting. There maybe those close to you who are malicious.

Lloyd: You're talking about yourself.

Kratos: (disbelief) Hm. We'll see. Be ever judicious.

Lloyd: ...

Kratos: Now I shall excuse myself. (leaves)

Lloyd: I forgot to ask what "judicious" means.

Everyone seemed a bit quieter after that skit. They all turned towards the city of Flanoir and headed towards it. They went out of their way to avoid the monsters, but one Blobbos dove at them.

Lloyd, Genis, Rei, and Asuka vs 2 Ice Spiders, and a Penguinist. Rei was the one to open the battle this time. "Engage according to operational parameters."

Rei began to charge a holy spell while Asuka and Lloyd dived into battle. Genis dug into his pocket and pulled out a Magic Lens. "Here!" He scanned an Ice Spider.

3780/3780 HP

0/0 TP

Weak: Ice

"Huh, that's weird. An ice type weak against ice. Oh well." He charged up a light blue attack.

The Penguinist threw four snowballs, and Lloyd was hit by all four. He blocked two, but when he tried to slash the closest Spider, he was caught by the second two. Asuka began to hack at the second enemy spider. It crouched down and raised its defenses. Her blade bounced off its armor with minimal damage. After her main combo was up, she was about to start another, but the spider took the opportunity to chomp on her leg. That only made her angrier. "Demonic Thrust!" The girl's shockwave sliced through the creature and she drove her blade home. The spider slid back a few feet.

Lloyd ignored his spider and looked towards the Penguinist. He jumped high into the air and slashed down upon it. "Rising Falcon!" The Penguinist ducked as Lloyd whirled around against him. Lloyd sliced his sword against the ground and created a shockwave. "Demon Fang!" The Penguinist took the hit and his guard was broken. He repeated the exercise. "Demon Fang!" He slammed his sword into the spine of the giant penguin. "Sonic Thrust!" The creature was pushed away. The swordsman pursued.

Genis called out his ability. "Cool off! Ice Tornado!" The first spider, which turned its attention towards Lloyd, became surrounded in a whirlwind of blue powder. It was blown into the air and hit five times. Asuka's spider was pushed into the whirlwind near the end and it took some damage as well. "Found your weakness!"

Rei flashed white. "Such power!" Her charge became even longer.

Asuka pulled back from her opponent and raised her blade to her face. A red ring surrounded her. "Who ordered the extra crispy? Flaming Drive!" Her sword met the ground and a pillar of fire erupted. It exploded towards the second spider, flipping it on its side.

Lloyd was ready to swing his sword into the Penguinist one last time, but he flashed white. "Okay!" He swiped a shockwave and plunged his sword into the creature's chest. "Demonic Thrust!" The last hit destroyed the Penguinist.

Genis finished another light blue charge. "Get him! Icicle!" The first spider was struck by a sharp piece of ice, and was destroyed. "Hey, not too bad!"

Asuka's spider kept guarding, and she couldn't vanquish the darn thing. Suddenly, Rei started a prayer. "Ruler of the day, giver of life, show us your powers and strike those that oppose us! Solar Flare!" Three beams of light cast from above in a pyramid with the spider in the middle. Asuka stood in one, and Lloyd in another. Their attack stats were raised. The three beams closed in on the spider, causing three minor hits. When they combined, a flaming spark erupted around the Ice Spider and it was vanquished. The battle ended and she did the closing sequence while two Blue Quartz were picked up. "Resistance was foolish."

The team took a few more steps towards the walls of the city. They reached it.

-Flanoir-

A: Enter

B: Leave

A: Enter

Welcome to Flanoir, the snowy city. A place where the streets are all covered with slush from the constant snowfall. The buildings are in a beautiful old style, and the views are very scenic. The travelers were cold, tired, and hungry, so they decided to stop off at the inn, which was the first building on the left. Everyone was still oddly silent as Lloyd approached the front desk. A young man spoke to him. "Welcome to Flanoir."

"Yeah hi. I need two rooms. One for a group of five and the other a group of six. Do you have anything like that?"

"Yes we do sir. Our recent renovations have dramatically increased our capacity. But due to the renovations, our prices have been raised to 500 Gald per room per night."

"Th...that's expensive!"

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, sir. Would you still like the rooms?"

"Don't worry about it, Lloyd." Genis said as the swordsman looked over his shoulder. "We can always go and fight that dumb dragon in the Earth Temple a few more times. It's always fun to tease him."

Lloyd chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. Okay, we'll take the rooms."

"Very good sir. Your quarters require some small preparations first, so please wait in the lobby until I get everything ready. I will return momentarily." The man left and went upstairs.

The group spread out in the lobby, slowly trying to break their monotonous silences with meager things. Collette walked up to Lloyd and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Huh? Wha?" The swordsman was startled.

Collette smiled goofily. "What'cha doing?"

"Me, I was just thinking...hard." He downcast his eyes.

"About what Kratos said?" She sat down next to him.

"Yeah. He wasn't talking about himself when he said there were traitors among us, was he?"

"I hate to admit it but I don't think so."

"Was he lying to me? To throw me off?"

"He's been right so far. Like with Mizuho and the Riehards."

"And that's what scares me. He just can't be right about this, he just can't be!" He put his head in his hands.

Collette found herself putting an arm around the young man. "It's okay, Lloyd. We'll work through this, together. All of us. We'll prove Kratos wrong, okay?"

In another part of the room, Asuka watched the two and their motions. "Dammit." She turned towards her cup of tea on a coffee table, and noticed a hand place another cup on the table. It was Shinji's hand. He just stayed quiet like everyone else, in a dark mood. "Shinji, we have to do something about this."

"What are you talking about, Asuka?"

She ignored him for a moment and whispered loudly across the room. "Psst. Hey, Ayanami. Get over here. It's important. I don't care what you're doing. Drop it and get over here, now!"

The Earthen Chosen blinked for a moment, then walked over to sit across from the two. "What is it that can possibly demand so much attention?"

"Look at them all. Every single one of them is scared and complacent. If you took all of their depressions and put them together, they'd equal the idiot over here."

"That was uncalled for, Asuka." Shinji grumbled. "Even so, so what?"

"They've been like this ever since we met Kratos again. You heard his words as plain as I did."

"You've been thinking about that too?"

"How can I not? We're directly involved in it!"

"I'm not following."

"Shinj-idiot, will you use that brain cell for once in your life? We're the newcomers. We're the least well known of the group. When Kratos warned Lloyd about there being some traitors, who do you think they'll suspect first? It's us, Shinji."

"That is a very logical assumption, Pilot Soryu."

Asuka ignored Rei's compliment. "So we have to do something, anything to make them see that we're trustworthy."

"We've battled side by side with them. Isn't that enough?" Shinji blinked.

"No, not enough. Fighting for survival is necessary, but to really show your trust, you have to go out of your way to do something."

"Am I correct in assuming that you already have some idea of what to do?" Rei asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this?" Shinji gulped down his tea.

"Shut up, idiot! Anyway, what we're going to do is tonight we'll sneak out and get some supplies. We'll head to the Temple of Ice and clear the way for the others. We'll take out the traps and monsters so they have a clear shot at Celsius."

"I knew I wouldn't like this. That's way too dangerous!"

"Not really. With you as a cook, and Wondergirl as the magical healer our stats will be safe. With you and me as physical attackers, we can jump right into anything. And with me and Ayanami as spellcasters, we can take out the really tough opponents from a distance."

"But we're only three people. Don't we always fight as a group of four?"

"We'll make an exception. We can do it. We never needed anyone before, with Eva. What's different now?"

"The absence of a skyscraper-high robot, that's what!"

"Do you want them to trust us or what?"

"Of course I do, it's just...."

"Then we're going. No more whining, Third Child!"

Shinji grumbled into submission. "Ayanami, please talk her out of this."

"That would be a futile effort, but I am also inclined to agree with her. Though the danger is real, her strategy is sound. If this will achieve the goal of mutual trust, then I suggest we do so." Ayanami said blankly.

"Great. Guess I'm outvoted."

"We'll leave at midnight, but first..." Asuka turned towards the rest of the group. "Hey everyone! Shinji says we need more foodstuffs. We're heading out to find a store. Can we borrow some cash so we can stock up?"

All of the others looked towards Regal. Raine spoke to him. "Well? You are our financial manager, Regal."

"Yes, I believe we could do that. We also need to stock up on Gels, Magic Lenses, Panacea Bottles, and Life Bottles. I'll give you 100,000 Gald. That should be enough to get everything and more. Just don't blow the extra, we'll need it later."

"Ok, thanks. Let's go Shinji. Ayanami, you too." Asuka grinned as she took the money from Regal. The other two pilots just trudged behind her. Asuka turned around and smiled sweetly when she got to the door. "We'll be back in a jiffy!"

They exited when the receptionist came in again. "Your rooms are ready."

Shinji trudged behind Asuka next to Rei. "Why are we doing this again, Asuka?"

"Idiot! We need supplies!" The girl spun around. "We're the advance team, so we need to split our cargo. If we get the maximum amount of items that we can carry and split them up evenly, then we'll all be good for assaulting that Ice Temple."

"So you basically lied to them."

"Not at all. We need foodstuffs and everything that Regal said, but we'll just split it all up evenly."

"Great. So where are these stores anyway?"

"I don't know. Do you, Wondergirl?"

"I do not. Perhaps we should ask one of the locals where...."

They passed a little girl next to a cart. She spoke sweetly to them. "Hi, would you like some fresh veggies? This is the only place you'll find them in town!"

The pilots looked towards the child as she pulled off the cover of her wagon. It was filled with different varieties of produce and a few select spices and meats. Shinji and Asuka fell over. "I believe we have found what we were looking for, Pilot Soryu."

She got up and rubbed her head. "I can see that. Sure we'd like some, little girl. What do you have?"

"Yay! My first customer of the day! We've got some delicious imported strawberries, some in-home grown cabbage, oh and these beef strips are divine! We also have...."

Shinji smiled as he looked into the bag. They practically bought out the entire cart and still had half of their money. Asuka waved goodbye to the little shopping girl. She waved and called out to them. "Thanks, nice people! Stop by again! Don't forget that the Goods shop is right in the center of town! See ya! Bye bye!"

They turned and walked into the center of town. "Well she was rather nice!" Asuka smiled.

"Will these ingredients be satisfactory, Ikari?" Rei asked the boy.

"No problem. I could probably make 50 dishes out of this stuff right here. Combined with the rest back at the hotel, we're talking 100 meals."

"Perfect! I just love your cooking anyway!" Asuka accidentally put a lot of emphasis on "love" and immediately regretted it. Shinji turned to look towards her in surprise. "Um, that is to say...." She put on her annoyed face. "Your food is palletable. Just don't make the same thing every day like you normally do. It loses its flavor after a while."

"Um...okay. Shouldn't be a problem with everything we've got." Shinji continued to walk on.

"Clueless idiot." Asuka said below her breath.

"Ikari, Soryu. I believe this is the Goods Store." She stood at the entrance to a wooden building.

Asuka looked up at the sign hanging over the door. It was in the shape of a bottle and had the words "Goods Store" written on it. She rolled her eyes at Rei. "You're good." They went inside.

Zelos dived onto his bed. "Aw yeah! This place rocks! It reminds me of home! The bed, the decoration, even the smell reminds me of my mansion!"

The entire crew was in the men's bedroom, relaxing and talking. "This is a rather high quality hotel. I am quite impressed." Regal smiled and rubbed his chin.

Sheena smiled softly as she put up her injured legs. "I'm not surprised. This is one of the greatest tourist spots on Tethe'-alla. It's a really beautiful place, especially when it snows at night. I remember the last day I was here, finally allowed to leave, I went to the outlook near the Martel Cathedral during the night. It was snowing and it...was...so...so..." A tear ran down her cheek. "I never thought I'd see this place again. Now here I am."

'Woah, Sheena's crying?' Lloyd thought. "I'm sorry Sheena. If I had known that this place would have stirred so many memories, we would have stayed somewhere else."

"No, it's okay. Thanks for bringing me here. Though many of the memories of this place I hate, there are a few good things too. Now that I have all of you with me, I can create brand new memories. I mean look at all the stuff that's happened to us so far! Fighting Cruxius, subduing Volt, getting the other summon spirits, it's all exciting, and to be honest a bit fun! And now with our new friends, the Earthlings...."

"Speaking of which, I have noticed that Rei, Asuka, and Shinji have not returned." Presea interrupted.

Genis looked towards her. "That's true. I hope they didn't get lost. Think we should look for them?"

Suddenly they heard a sneeze from the other side of the door. It opened revealing Rei and Asuka carrying bags, and Shinji rubbing his nose. "Okay, who's been talking about me?" He said and smiled slightly.

"Oh good, there you are. We were worried that we had to go and find you." Raine spoke.

Asuka and Rei dropped their bags on a bed. "Nah, we were ok. It just took us a while to find everything we needed." The redhead smirked. "Oh, here's the change, Regal." She walked over to the burly man and handed over the money in her pockets.

He looked down at the amount. "Only 2,500 Gald? I thought you'd have more left over than this!"

"You wouldn't believe the prices on some of the stuff around here. 22,700 Gald for a Black Onyx charm? No thanks! Even the regular items seemed rather highly priced. This city is a damned tourist trap!"

"I see. Next time, I'll take shopping duties. I have a knack for negotiating prices." Regal smiled.

"Yeah. Sorry." Shinji rubbed the back of his head.

"We should get to sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow." Raine said as the girls turned towards the women's bedroom.

"Yeah. I suppose it will be. Goodnight everyone. Get some rest for once in your life, Shinj-idiot."

"Ja vol, mein furor." Shinji grumbled.

Asuka ran up to him and hit him in the back of the head hard. "Say that again and I'll send you to Germany with my fist!" She turned around and stormed out of the room. Once outside she smiled. 'Now how did he learn that?'

Inside, Shinji was rubbing the back of his head. "Ouch!"

"You want an Apple Gel, Shinji? That one looked like it took a lot out of you." Genis pulled one out of the pack.

"No thanks, I'm used to it. But I really thought she'd like that joke. I guess she hates Hitler pretty badly."

"Who's Hitler?" Zelos asked.

"Basically he was a radical leader who caused the second of Earth's three greatest wars."

"Oh."

"Still that's quite a bump on your head, Shinji!" Lloyd chuckled.

"I'll be fine by tomorrow. Hey, you don't happen to have anything to write with, do you? I should write down not to say that line around her anymore."

"You keep a list?" Regal asked.

"If I did, you'd have to fell and entire forest just to make enough paper. This is just for the big ones."

"I have something." Regal pulled a pen out of his shackles. "I expect that back, it's one of my favorites."

"No problem there. You'll get it tomorrow morning. Until then, goodnight everyone."

"Gnight."

"Night."

"Yawn Night."

Shinji opened his eyes. 'It has to be around midnight now.' He stood up and placed the pen and paper by Lloyd's bag. 'I hope they get this.' Shinji searched through Lloyd's bag and found the item he was looking for. 'Sorry, Lloyd.' He then took up his own bag and quietly opened the door. 'Asuka better be right about this.' He blocked the light so Genis wouldn't get it in the eye and slipped into the hallway. The two other pilots were already outside, with their own packs on their backs. Asuka was tapping her foot menacingly. "I'm late aren't I?" Shinji whispered.

"Yes you are. Did you leave the note?"

"Yes."

"What about the ring? Did you get the Sorcerer's Ring?"

Shinji held out his hand, and in it was the Ring. "Yeah. I still feel bad about taking it."

"Heh. It's necessary. You explained it all in the note, right? Then put it on and let's go." She held out her hand to him.

"Um..." He blinked.

"Well? Put it on me!"

"Should I get down on one knee too?"

Asuka's face went Tomato Red and a vein popped out of her forehead. "IDI..."

Shinji's hand clamped over her mouth. "Shush! You'll get us caught! You want it so bad? Then you can put it on." He shoved the ring into her palm. He jumped backwards to avoid the repercussions of holding her mouth.

To his surprise, Asuka only muttered and slid the ring on. The three quietly exited the hotel, and soon, the city.

Lloyd was shaken out of bed and pushed to the floor. "Ugh!" He grunted as he hit.

"Lloyd! Lloyd get up!" A young voice said.

"Ungh. Wha?" Lloyd blinked as his eyes focused on Genis, who was hovering over him.

"Lloyd! The Earth travelers are gone!"

"What? Gone?!" He sat up straight. Apparently everyone had gathered in his room. "What time is it?"

"A couple of hours after dawn. I woke up first and saw Rei's and Asuka's beds empty." Raine spoke with worry in her voice.

"Shinji's gone too!" Genis was panicking.

"That's not all. It seems they have taken just under half of our necessary items." Regal said, examining his pack. "Although I can't be sure without checking yours as well, Lloyd."

Lloyd picked up his pack, which was sitting right next to him and opened it up. "Yep, looks like half my stuff is missing too. At least..." He shuffled the contents, then again, faster and faster. "He took it! He took the Sorcerer's Ring!" Lloyd stood up quickly, and a sheet of paper fell off of his back to the floor. "We have to go after them! Do we still have the Riehards?"

"Got them right here, along with the EC and those weird plug thingies." Zelos held up the Wing Pack.

"Good, then we can catch up with them! They must've been the traitors!" Lloyd gripped his fists tightly.

"Lloyd, calm down. That doesn't make sense!" Collette spoke up.

"She's right." Sheena folded her arms. "First off, why take only half of our supplies when they could have taken them all?"

"Second, why would they leave us with a mode of transportation that we could easily follow them with?" Raine nodded.

"Third, why would they leave their Entry Plugs with us when they said it was necessary for them to have them?" Zelos got out of his bed.

"And fourth, why would they leave this note?" Presea picked up the paper from the floor.

"Let me see that." Lloyd took the note from Presea. "Dear Lloyd and Friends...,"

Dear Lloyd and Friends,

I hope we didn't scare you all with our sudden disappearance. We heard what Kratos said, and we feel that you still can't trust us, so we're going to change all that. We're going to clear the way for you in the Temple of Ice. We'll take out the traps and unlock the doors for you. That's why we took the Sorcerer's Ring. It seems to be the key to unlocking all these dungeons that you've been to.

If you've noticed, we've taken half of the supplies, but that's so we can work better on our journey. Even so, we don't have enough stuff, so we'll use the extra money that Asuka failed to give to you to get the rest when the stores open. We'll meet you at the Ice Temple. Asuka, Rei, and I hope this will be enough to earn your trust.

Goodbye for now,

Shinji Ikari.

"Dammit! Those idiots don't know what they're in for!" Lloyd slammed his fist into the bed.

"We have to stop them before they get too far." Sheena balled her fists.

"Wait, there is still a chance we can catch them. The stores just opened. If we hurry, maybe we can find them at the shopping section." Raine said.

"Then what are we standing around here for? Grab your gear and let's move!" Zelos jumped up and slung his stuff over his shoulder. Everyone followed suit, and soon they were checked out for the day.

"Everyone split up and cover the city. Ask anyone and everyone if they've seen them. Ask twice if you have to. Let's go!" Lloyd cried. The crew split up. "Dammit! Why'd they have to go and think that they needed to earn my trust? They already had it!"

Shinji and the girls arrived at the entrance to the Temple. They went inside. There were a few icy stalagmites around the entrance. Some Penguinists, Ice Spiders, and two other unknown creatures were guarding the entrance to the cave itself.

"So, you think they know yet?" Asuka smiled.

"That is most probable." Rei answered.

"Then we should hurry, or else they might fly the Riehards over here and find us before we're finished."

"Don't worry about that, Asuka. I bought us some time. I wrote that we were going shopping for extra stuff when the stores opened. They'll be scouring the city for a while."

"Hmm, not bad Third Child, not bad." Asuka smiled back at Shinji, and he turned red. "Now, let's plow the road." She walked into a bird's vicinity. BATTLE SCREEN!

Genis found an old lady standing on the side of a pathway. "Excuse me, ma'am!"

"Oh my, you seem to be in quite a rush young man. What's the hurry?"

"I'm looking for my friends. They've gone missing! Have you seen them? One's a really quiet girl with my color hair."

"I haven't seen anyone with hair like yours before."

"Ok, so you haven't seen Rei. How about Asuka? She's a real loudmouth with golden-red hair."

"Mind your manners, son. I'm sure she wouldn't want you talking about her like that. Unfortunately, no I haven't seen her either."

"Great, just great! Okay, last try. Shinji's a depressed looking guy with brownish-black hair."

"I'm so sorry. I haven't seen any of them."

"Perfect! JUST PERFECT!"

"It's okay. Calm down. I'm sure you'll find them eventually. There's probably someone around that has seen them. Don't give up."

"Thanks. Gotta go!"

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei vs. Ice Warrior, Feather Magic, and Ice Spider.

Shinji opened the battle. "This'll have to be done quickly." He targeted an Ice Spider. A left swipe, a right swipe, and a forward slap from his cards electrify the target. "Seal Barrage!" The creature gets hit by five more inscribed cards.

Asuka raised her sword and charged a red ring. Rei pulled a Magic Lens out of her pocket. "Activate." The Ice Warrior was scanned.

4320/4320 HP

0/0 TP

AA: Ice

Weak: Fire, Lightning

Str: Water, Ice

Soon, Rei was in a holy charge. Asuka finished her spell. "Who wanted the extra crispy?! Flaming Drive!" Flames erupted from where she struck the ground, straight towards the Feather Magic, but it also caught the Ice Spider off guard.

Shinji got a few more melee hits in before the spider crouched down and guarded. "Teleport Seal!" He raised an inscription card to the sky, and he was instantly behind the spider in a puff of smoke. Unfortunately so was the Feather Magic. It turned towards him and flapped its wings. The wind creature created a whirlwind ball that Shinji was unable to protect himself from. "Agh, agh, aaaaahhh!" The final hit was critical damage. "That was stupid of me."

Asuka charged the Feather Magic and leapt into the air. She cut upwards with her sandy sword and thrust into the creature's chest, knocking it to the ground. "It looks like you don't like that!" She watched Shinji vanquish his eight-legged opponent with a Life Seal. The Ice Warrior took a large swipe at her that knocked her to the ground, but she flipped onto her feet before she stopped sliding. "That thing is strong! Ayanami, stop your spell. We need you to cover that Feather Magic. It's weak against Earth. Shinji, stay behind that Ice Warrior! It's too powerful to face head on. It's weak against your cards, so approach it like that." Asuka retreated a distance from both monsters and charged another red ring.

Shinji slapped the Feather Magic, but the damage was minimal. "Wrong choice then?" He switched targets and aimed for the back of the Ice Warrior. It turned around at the last second. "Woah! Seal Wall!" A green and yellow barrier of cards surrounded him as the Ice Warrior pulled its sword back. Light blue circles encompassed the blade as Shinji's defense faded. "Huh?" The creature let loose its icy fury. Shinji took heavy damage and was flung on his back. He was slow getting up, blinking red.

"Shinji! Ayanami, hurry up!" Asuka called, seeing the spectacle.

Rei continued charging her brown ring. "Almost there."

"Fine!" Asuka dropped her spellcasting and reached into her pocket. She threw an Apple Gel over to Shinji. "Try this, idiot!" Then she resumed her spell, only to have it broken by the feathery shots of the Feather Magic. She charged the opponent, slicing more damage into it, bringing it to surface level.

Rei finished her spell and called it out. "Quake." The ground swallowed the Feather Magic and spit it back up again with rocks in its wake. Asuka continued to slash it until it was no more. She jumped back and charged red again.

Shinji got up and ran towards the Ice Warrior. It tried to take a short swipe, but the boy dodged it. It pulled its sword back again, and Shinji took the opportunity. "Teleport Seal!" He was behind the creature, and he instantly set upon eliminating it. Two melee attacks later he defibrillated the creature. "Shock Seal!" It sent the seemingly invincible creature into a dizzy fit. Shinji took full advantage of it and got in two more behind the back attacks along with an electrifying Barrage Seal.

Asuka finished her charge. "Fried ice anyone? Flaming Drive!" The Ice Warrior was toast. The battle ended with a grab of some Blue Quartz. "My wrath is unparalleled!"

"In and out of battle." Shinji muttered.

"What was that, Third Child?!"

"Ow! Cut that out!" Shinji slapped together a Sandwich.

Zelos walked up to a young man who was pacing. "Yo bro. Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure."

"I'm looking for three people that were traveling with me. I wondering if you saw them."

"Hmm? Sure, I'll try. What do they look like?"

"The boy of the party looks like a stick with brown hair. The other two are real beautiful girls. One has a pale-blue mop on her head, and the other has a lighter color red than mine."

"Hmm? Blue? Red? You're the only person I've met with red hair. And I'll be honest, I haven't really been paying attention to people around me. I've been trying to figure out why my girlfriend didn't like the gift I got her."

"Oh? What'd you get her?"

"A Bigfoot Claw."

"Dude, that's a gift for guys. Get her a charm bracelet or something, something that reflects her character."

"Oh. Now that I think about it that was pretty stupid huh? Thanks. And sorry I haven't seen anyone you're looking out."

"Don't worry. I'm sure someone has."

Shinji, Rei, and Asuka vs. 2 Ice Spider, 1 Penguinist.

Asuka started the battle off as she charged headlong. "Bring them to their knees!" Shinji followed her lead as Rei began a holy charge. Asuka jumped into a cloud and dived into the Penguinist from another. "Falcon Warp!"

An Ice Spider decided to crawl towards Rei, but Shinji took up blocking position. He slapped the creature three times and then electrified it. "Shock Seal!" It became paralyzed. The second spider turned on the boy and spit a web net over him. It did damage and slowed his movements.

The Penguinist chucked snowballs at Asuka, but she just batted them down with her sword. She dug her sword into to the snow and created a shockwave. After it hit the creature three times she dug her sword into it for a fourth hit. The Penguinist was no more. She turned towards an Ice Spider and began to charge a blue ring.

Shinji was caught between the alternating mandibles of two Ice Spiders, each taking turns nipping at his legs, not giving him time to attack. Rei finished her chant. "As the sun governs the day, you hold the night. Lend me your power to protect those I care for most! Crescent Cage!" The world turned black around the participants in the battle. Shinji's defensive abilities were raised as a crescent moon appeared under his feet. The Ice Spiders were enveloped in darkness.

Asuka took matters into her own hands. "Frozen treats! Chilling Drive!" An icy blast erupted from the ground in front of her and it hurtled towards the enemies. It hit the second Ice Spider as both continued to get pummeled by the dark sphere. "Hate that don't ya?"

The first Ice Spider disintegrated in the cage, while the second was tossed out of it at Rei's feet as the world returned to normal. With one swing of her kendama, the creature was to never get up again. Rei finished off the battle while getting a Penguinist Quill for their troubles. "Operation complete. Mission result is total success."

Another Shinwich (that's Shinji Sandwich) and they were on their way again.

Sheena entered a weapons shop and talked to the man at the front counter. "Excuse me sir."

"Yo, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for three people. I was wondering if anyone by the name of Shinji, Asuka, or Rei came in here."

"No one by those names came in here. But I did see some flashes of odd colored hair go by my window."

"What?! That could be them! When was this?!"

"Last night, right after sundown."

"Dammit. That was when they went shopping for food."

"Sorry I couldn't be of service. I'd offer you a charm, but I don't have my customization store open yet."

"Thanks anyway. I've got to go."

"Don't give up!"

The three pilots entered the cave. They heard some water dripping in the distance. Asuka stepped forward. "Huh, for a temple this doesn't look like much."

"Hey, Asuka, look at this!" Shinji pointed to a large metal bowl with a glowing light inside of it. "Raine told me about these things. They're supposed to switch the properties of the Sorcerer's Ring."

Asuka walked up to it and dropped the ring into the ball of light. "Then let's try it out." She pulled it out again. "Wow, it's cold."

"It is most likely that it can freeze anything instantly." Rei observed.

"Good, then let's test it on you."

"Asuka!" Shinji defended.

"Forget it, you're a block of ice as it is already. Let's go."

They continued up a small rocky path and they ran into a Penguinist horde. BATTLE SCREEN!

Something caught Raine's eye, and she ran into an open area of the plaza. "Amazing!" She smiled widely as she stared at the three ice sculptures in the center of the area.

A man walked up to her. "The ice sculptures are incredibly beautiful this year."

"Astounding. Who were the craftsmen?"

"No one knows. They just appear during the night once a year with three huge ice blocks and start cutting."

"What are these sculptures of?"

"The one on the left is entitled 'Pac-Man.'"

"Strange spherical creature."

"The middle one is of the Wonder Chef."

"What accurate detail! They even made the fork evenly spaced."

"And the right one is of the monster 'Bigfoot.'"

"A what?"

"A what?" Asuka blinked at Rei.

"The Monster List identifies it as a Bigfoot."

"Looks worse than my uncle's sheepdog. Let's go!"

Shinji, Rei, and Asuka vs. 2 Penguinists and a Bigfoot. Shinji started it off this time. "They aren't getting any prettier." He reached into his pocket and raised a Magic Lens to the sky. "Go!" The Bigfoot was scanned.

6120/6120 HP

38/38 TP

AA: Ice

Weak: Fire

Str: Ice

Rei charged a holy spell while Asuka jumped into the air and targeted the Penguinist on the left. "Falcon Warp!" She was upon the Penguinist in less than a second.

Shinji aimed for the other Penguinist, but it slid on its stomach at him. He flinched as it hit him. The Penguinist got up and Shinji slapped it a few times with his cards. "Seal Barrage!" His shock therapy began to work. "Life Seal." He recovered some of the damage he lost from the hit.

The giant white and grey creature slowly stomped its way towards Rei. Asuka ignored that fact as she continued to hack at the Penguinist in front of her. She raised her blade above her head and an electric sphere developed on it. She brought it down on the enemy. "Rolling Thunder!" She turned and slashed normally four times. The Penguinist was gone.

Bigfoot came close enough to Rei to launch an attack. It stuck out its impossibly long tongue and licked her. Rei pulled out of her holy charge. "You disturbed me." She tried to move away, but she was unable to escape. Asuka ran up behind the creature as it sat down hard, creating a shockwave that knocked Asuka down while Rei recovered in midair.

Asuka got up slowly as the Bigfoot stood up and started to turn around. Asuka dug her blade into its side and it stopped turning as it flinched, its black eyes replaced by a giant X. "Rolling Thunder!" She brought her charged blade down upon the creature. "Ayanami, what's taking you so long? Use your abilities!"

"Something...is wrong." Rei blinked.

The man by the sculptures explained. "A Bigfoot is a strong creature is around this area. It is very dangerous. Somehow its tongue can lock the abilities of whoever it licks, that is if it doesn't make that person dizzy."

"So this creature's tongue can Stun or Curse an opponent. Is there any cure?" Raine asked.

"A magic healer can cure it, but so can a Panacea Bottle."

"I'll have to remember that."

Shinji's Ice Spider guarded. "Teleport Seal!" He broke the enemy's guard with two swipes, and defibrillated it. "Shock Seal!" The creature was no more. He turned towards the Bigfoot as it slammed a paw on top of Asuka. "Asuka! Ayanami help her!"

"I cannot use my abilities. This creature has done something to me."

"You'd better do something or I'll end up under this things stinky ass!" Asuka growled as she pushed the paw away. "Shinji, draw it away!"

Shinji dove for the creature. He slapped it twice and drew some TP with a third slap. "Drain Seal!" The creature opened its mouth towards him. "Woah! Teleport Seal!" He appeared behind it and the tongue licked air. "That was close!" He pushed it away slightly with a Seal Barrage. Rei was able to escape.

"Keep it up, Third Child!" Asuka said as she jumped backwards and charged her red ring. "Fried ice anyone? Flaming Drive!" A pillar of lava blew towards Bigfoot while Shinji continued hitting it. The attack did extensive damage and the creature disappeared.

The battle ended, and Asuka finished the thought. "What's with you today, Ayanami?"

"Unknown."

Shinji created a Rice Ball.

Shinji walked up the pathway a little farther, until he got a good view of the entrance. Something sparkled and he looked up. Asuka turned towards Rei. "Okay, Ayanami, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"That creature must have done something to me. I cannot call upon my magical or holy powers."

"So fix it."

"I do not know how."

"Well we can't go into battle with you just swinging that toy around. Let's see if some of the items will work." She and Rei dug into the pack. When Rei's hand brushed up against a blue bottle, it glowed. The blue-haired Chosen raised the pulsating bottle. "Isn't that a Panacea Bottle?"

"I believe so. Does this not cure physical ailments?"

"Yeah, I think that's what the vendor said. Drink up!"

Rei thinks differently of it for a moment, but finally gives in. She pops the cork and downs the potion. "I believe the taste is similar to one of blueberries."

"Like I care about that. Can you use magic yet?"

A white ring encircled the Chosen. "Let me test it. Double First Aid!" Shinji and Asuka recovered HP.

"Yeah, you're back to normal." She gets up and slings the pack over her shoulder. "Let's go!" She noticed a certain stick-boy missing from the pack and turned around to find Shinji staring at an outcropping above. "What's so fascinating, Shinj-idiot?"

"What?" He snapped out of his trance, "Oh well, there's something up there. It looks like a flower, but made out of what looks like metal. Think we should take a look at it?"

"Why not? We need to explore this place before the others get here, so why not start with that flower? It looks like there's a cave entrance up there. Let's head up."

They continued on the path until it split into a fork. There a wildcat pranced around. Asuka smiled at it. "Aw, a kitty. How cute!" It took notice of them and charged straight at them. Another cat appeared next to it, and as they got closer, the pilots realized that these weren't cats, and they weren't cute. BATTLE SCREEN!

A realization washed over Raine's face. "Oh, that's right! Have you seen three children around this area named Shinji, Asuka, and Rei? I'm trying to find them. They're around fourteen years of age and have a foreign accent."

"No one has come by this area with that description ma'am, but then again, I haven't been here for very long this morning."

"Very well. I must move on then. Hopefully I'll return next year for the new sculptures."

"I hope you find what you're looking for."

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei versus 2 Lobo.

All three pilots stayed away from the giant blue-gray wolves. "We're not gonna like this!" Shinji said. He pulled out a Magic Lens. "Activate."

7800/7800 HP

260/260 TP

AA: Ice

Weak: Fire, Lightning

Str: Water, Ice

"Stay on your toes!" Asuka cried as she charged up her red circle. Rei charged a holy spell, and Shinji waited for one of the creatures to make the first move. The first one did as it slowly stomped towards the group. Shinji decided to charge the enemy, and he dodged as one of its front paws jabbed out against him. "Fried ice! Flaming Drive!" Asuka targeted the second Lobo and soon it was enveloped by fire.

Shinji swiped his cards at the wolf, but it was so tall that he missed half the time. He jumped up and attacked with two simultaneous cards. "Shock Seal!" The giant creature flinched. "I'd say that's a weakness." The boy landed right as the creatures jaws lashed out towards him. Shinji was damaged by the attack three times and was sent onto his back. He blinked red as he slowly got up.

Asuka aimed at the first Lobo and charged. She cut upwards into its hairy chest, then jump-slashed, and finally speared it in the nose. She lifted her blade up high and it charged with electricity. "Rolling Thunder!" She swiped her sword down and the Lobo took four hits of electrical damage.

Shinji decided to join the fight and turned towards the first Lobo. After a melee hit he used Shock Seal and it went to its knees. The second Lobo chose him as a target and moved behind him as he battled beside Asuka. It raised its head up to the sky and an icy wind surrounded the giant wolf. Both Shinji and Asuka were blown sky high. Asuka hit the floor while Shinji recovered in midair.

Rei finished charging her spell as the first Lobo began to bite Asuka. "Cleansing light. Solar Flare!" Three spotlights formed around the second Lobo. The first spotlight came into contact with the first Lobo, and a small fiery blast made it disappear permanently. The spotlight also disappeared. The final two converged on the second Lobo and a larger blast erupted from the light.

The second Lobo recovered as Asuka got up. She began another mystical red charge. Shinji jumped towards the creature as a large paw shot towards him, knocking him down again. "This is getting chaotic!" He got up as the Lobo attempted to bite him. "Teleport Seal!"

Asuka brought her blade down. "Fried ice. Flaming Drive!" Asuka's attack stopped the Lobo in mid-turn, keeping it from going after Shinji.

The boy teleported again and swiped three of his cards at the creature. "Seal Barrage!" He vanquished the creature that gave him so much trouble. Even so, they did not receive any items for their battle. Shinji knelt down with his hands on the ground panting. "What kind of evil are those things?"

Collette entered a charm and jewelry shop. She came across an old man. "Hello sir."

"Greetings young lady. Have you per chance heard of Penguinist Gloves? They're quite a good item to have, and nice and warm. You look like you would benefit from such a pair, with those pale slender hands of yours. If you can bring me three Penguinist Quills, I'll make a pair for you."

"Oh, well I'm afraid I don't have any Penguinist Quills on me. I'm actually on a mission to find my friends. Have you seen any girls dressed like me this morning?"

"I haven't been here for less than five minutes I'm afraid. Ask the merchant woman over there."

"Thank you sir. I'll be sure to find those Quills." She went in search of the clerk.

The pilots made it to the upper exit of the cave. There, they took a break. All three ate some refreshing Gels, and restored themselves. They looked around and noticed a small passage, guarded by a group of insects. They walked towards them. BATTLE SCREEN!

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei vs. 2 Ice Spider

Asuka started off the battle. "Is this supposed to scare me or something?" She jumped into a bank of clouds and dived into the first Ice Spider. "Falcon Warp!" She turned her attention towards the second spider, and began to slash it up.

Rei began to charge a brown spell as Shinji drove forward. When Asuka's strike made the first Ice Spider jump, he took advantage and began a relentless assault. Two left swipes, one right, and a Seal Barrage of five straight to the face. It began to guard itself, and Shinji just kept pounding it over and over again.

Asuka's spider guarded as well. She raised her blade up in the air. "Rolling..." The spider lowered its guard and shot a web in her face. "Agh!" The attack never completed. She swung at it madly, but it guarded again.

Rei took care of the rest. "Earthen powers awaken. Quake." The ground opened up under Asuka's spider and it dropped down. The crack spread out in between Shinji's spider's legs, but it slammed shut, spitting rocks and Asuka's spider upwards. Both spiders disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Asuka picked up a Blue Quartz as Rei closed the battle. "Such pathetic battles are meaningless."

Collette found the merchant woman in the charm shop. "Excuse me ma'am."

"Oh hello. Welcome. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for three people I'm supposed to be traveling with. Two of them were wearing similar clothes to mine. Have you seen anyone like that?"

"Did one have pale blue and the other have golden-red hair?" The lady sneered.

"Yes, that's them? Were they here? When was it?"

"That red-haired girl was a real annoyance in my shop! Calling my store a rip off just because I sell rare Black Onyxes at the advertised price. They came through last night and scared off half of my customers."

"I'm sorry she caused you so much trouble. But they didn't come here this morning?"

"Thankfully no."

"Darn. Okay, thanks for your help."

The piloting crew found themselves facing a large crevice in the path. Shinji blinked as he thought aloud. "Can we jump it?"

"Inadvisable. We would not be able to get a good hold on the opposite side, and also that large icicle will not allow us the correct height necessary." Rei analyzed.

"Stupid icicle, dripping water all over the place. It probably created this ditch in the first place." Asuka grumbled.

"Dripping water? Hey, that's it Asuka! Use the Sorcerer's Ring. Freeze the water!"

"Would that work?"

"Well it couldn't hurt, could it?"

"That's a good point. Let's try it." Asuka pointed the ring at the droplets falling from the icicle. She squeezed the ring and a puff of cold white air came out of the center. It made contact with a water droplet in midair. More droplets collected and froze together, more and more until cube of ice was formed in the air. It dropped into the crevice, creating a bridge. "Well, what do you know? It worked!"

"That does not make sense. How could ice droplets create anything more than a ball of ice? Unless formed in a container, ice will freeze spherically in midair." Rei was genuinely confused.

"How can a ring freeze water? It doesn't matter as long as it works. The ring is magic, so maybe it likes making things cubic instead of spherical."

"Let's not dwell on it and keep moving what say?" Shinji finally broke up the conversation. They crossed and rounded a corner, sloping downwards. On that corner was a bird. They walked into it. BATTLE SCREEN!

Presea went all the way up to the Church of Martel. She entered and looked around with a slightly desperate look on her face. The pastor came up to her. "Dear child, you seem to be troubled. Is there something the Goddess Martel and her servants can help you with?"

"Pastor, three important members of my group have disappeared. I must find them before any harm is done to them."

"Oh my. Come with me dear girl, and I shall gather the attendants. We shall pray to Martel for their return." He turned towards his followers and started to walk towards the benches.

"My apologies, Pastor, but I cannot stay to do so. Every moment that I waste decreases the likelihood that I shall find them. I must continue my search. Farewell."

"We shall pray for your journey, dear child. Fare thee well."

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei vs. 2 Feather Magic and 1 Ice Warrior.

Shinji started off the game as he charged the Ice Warrior. "Stay sharp everyone."

Asuka raised a Magic Lens to the sky before she charged her red ring. "Hmph!" The Feather Magic was scanned.

3580/3580 HP

68/68 TP

Weak: Earth

Str: Wind, Lightning

Rei began to charge up a holy spell as Asuka finished hers. "Who ordered extra crispy? Flaming Drive!" The Ice Warrior was enveloped by a flaming pillar, but it managed to swipe Shinji with its very cold sword. Asuka charged the first Feather Magic.

The boy recovered in midair and landed next to the creature again. He slapped two cards on the Warrior's red eyeball and cried out "Shock Seal!" The creature was electrified and it was sent to the snowy floor. Shinji still continued to pound it and pound it, and pound it again. Even though the damage was halved, the Ice Warrior disappeared before it could launch an attack. Shinji took no notice as the second Feather Magic flapped up behind him. It shot some sharp feathers into his back. "Grah!" He grunted as his guard was broken. "That really hurt."

Asuka jumped high into the air and slashed down on the creature. She lifted her blade up as a normal one, but swiped down with an electrified one. "Rolling Thunder!" The Feather Magic didn't even flinch. "Oh crap." She decided to attack hand to hand again, and it did some more powerful damage.

Rei chanted her prayer. "As the sun governs the day, you hold the night. Lend me your power to protect those I care for most! Crescent Cage!" A white crescent moon appeared beneath Shinji's feet, raising his defensive status. The Feather Magic he was fighting became enveloped in a dark sphere, getting hit three times, then shot out for a fourth hit on landing.

Shinji attempted to fell the Feather Magic, but his attacks were reduced to 1 HP a hit while the creature blinked red. "Oops. Bad choice?" Shinji made a tactical retreat and Rei stepped up to the creature. She swung her kendama at it twice and it was destroyed.

Asuka took three more swipes at her own Feather Magic, and the winged beast was taken down permanently. She took to closing the battle. "Did you really think you could kill an Angel killer?"

Lloyd was stressed and annoyed as he ran through the town. "Damn! I've looked practically everywhere and still there's no sign of them!"

His mad dash attracted the attention of one man with a backpack. "Excuse me there!"

Lloyd slid to a halt. "What is it?"

"Do you by chance have any Celsius Tear?"

"Celsius Tear? What's that?"

"A Celsius Tear is a rare..."

Shinji and company followed the path down to another cave entrance. They walked into the cave, where there was only a small rock overhang overlooking the larger cave. At the very edge of it was a metallic blue flower.

"Is this what you saw, Ikari?" Rei asked.

"It has to be. It's the only thing around here. The metallic shine must have caught my eye."

"Okay then. What is it?" Asuka asked.

---A Celsius Tear is a rare type of flower that only grows in dark and very cold conditions.---

"It appears to be some type of flower, Pilot Soryu."

"I know that already, Wondergirl!"

---But it's very dangerous. They say that it can freeze absolutely anything.---

"Maybe we should take it with us? I bet Professor Raine could identify it." Shinji smiled.

"That's a good idea. You actually came up with something useful today, Shinji!" Asuka grinned. "Go ahead and pluck it."

---You should only touch it with Penguinist Gloves.---

"Why do I have to pick it?"

"Because it was your idea."

Shinji grumbled. "Fine." He slowly reached his hands towards the plant.

---Without them, the plant will freeze your skin until it burns.---

He grasped the stem of the plant with both hands. He let out a howling scream. Asuka forcibly separated his hands. "Shinji! Shinji! Are you all right?"

The child looked down at his hands. They were bleeding at the palms and blistering at the fingers. He didn't respond as he stared at his injuries.

"Oh my God! Look how much you're bleeding! We've got to get you to town!" Shinji didn't respond, and continued to stare at his hands. "You're in shock! What the hell is that demonic thing?" She wrapped her arm under the boy's arms and lifted him up. "Come on! We've got to get out of here!"

"Wow, a Celsius Tear is that dangerous?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes. And that's why it's so rare. I'm a collector of flowers. If you find some Celsius Tear, I would gladly buy it from you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have seen three children

walk past here? Two girls with matching clothes and a boy that was dressed like me?"

"Did one of them have strangely blue-colored hair?"

"Yes! That was Rei! Where'd you see them? When?"

"I saw them heading towards the city limits at first light."

"First light?! That was a few hours ago! Crap!" Lloyd dashed off to the front of the Inn to meet the others.

"Ayanami, how are we going to get past that thing?" Outside of the cave, the pilots had their backs against a wall, spying a birdlike creature around the corner.

"It will instantly notice us if we attempt to walk around it."

Shinji shivered. "So...cold."

"That's it! Shinji, you are a genius sometimes!" Asuka grinned at the boy, but he made no response. "We'll use the Sorcerer's Ring and freeze it! Even if only for a moment, we can slip by. Rei, you lure it over here and I'll chill it."

"You are aware that if this fails, then we will be in great danger."

"If we don't get Shinji out of here, then he'll be in more danger. Do it!" She gripped the shuddering pilot tighter.

"Understood." Rei scooped up some snow and formed it into a ball. She then took aim at the bird as she stepped out of their cover. The icy projectile hit its right wing and it turned around and dove towards her.

Asuka sat Shinji down. "Don't die on me." She jumped out between the bird and Rei and squeezed the ring on her finger. "Hrah!" The bird stopped moving forward and turned blue. Upon seeing the result, she lifted Shinji up again. "Let's go." They ran past the bird.

The group reassembled in front of the inn. Each of them shook their heads as Lloyd arrived asking, "Did anyone find them?" The swordsman grumbled. "I was afraid of this. Who has that note?"

"I do." Presea pulled it out of her hip pack.

"Let me see it, please." Lloyd took it out of her hands. "'Even so, we don't have enough stuff, so we'll use the extra money that Asuka failed to give to you to get the rest when the stores open.' Agh, I should have seen this coming! They had all the time they needed to grab supplies while they were out the first time. That's why they were so late! He put that line in there to get us to waste time in searching for them, and we fell for it. We've got to head out to the Ice Temple, now!"

The others nodded in agreement and they made their way towards the city limits.

Asuka carried Shinji over the ice bridge they made before, and froze an insect to get past it. She stared at the cave entrance. "Please don't tell me we have to dodge all the monsters in there just to get out of this pit."

"Pilot Soryu, there is another way." Rei stood in front of a solidified stream. Asuka dragged Shinji over to it. "This must lead to the solidified lake near the entrance. Perhaps we can slide down it."

"It's better than nothing! You go first."

"I shall." Rei jumped onto the ice and slid out of sight.

Asuka sat down on the beginning of the ice flow and brought the stunned boy into a tight grip on her lap. "Don't take this the wrong way, Third Child. Here we go!" She pushed off and grabbed a hold of the boy as they slid down. Upon hitting the bottom, they spiraled around. They hit the snow covered ground quickly and Asuka flopped on her back with Shinji on top of her, meeting eye to eye.

The red-head gasped as she looked deep into his eyes. They were completely glazed over. He spoke in a whisper to her. "Asuka...what am I touching? I can't feel anything...in my hands."

A tear rolled out of her eye. "Shinji!" She stood him up and held him close as she dragged him out of the way, after freezing another bird. She rested his hands on her arm. "Shinji, this is me you're touching. Hold on to me, hold on to that thought and stay strong. I'll get you some help."

"We must hurry." Rei ran up to them.

Asuka nodded as they exited to the field. They began to traverse the long distance to Flanoir, turning to avoid all the monsters that came by. A Stomper appeared to their right and charged them.

Lloyd ran out into the field. "Who knows what trouble they've gotten themselves into."

"Lloyd stop!" Sheena called out to him. "We'll take the Riehards!" She floated her machine in front of him. "Hop on! This will be quicker."

Lloyd mounted the craft and held her waist as they waited for the others to board their respective crafts. Once that was completed he raised his hand into the air. "Let's move!" They took off low to the ground.

The problem with Riehard flight is that you can't see monsters on the ground, but you can hear sounds. Regal straightened. "I just heard something. It sounded like screams, coming from directly below us."

"That could be them! Sheena, Zelos, Presea, Genis, continue on to the Ice Temple. If you don't find them, come back this way. Everyone else come with me." Lloyd jumped off of the back seat, followed by Regal, Raine, and Collette.

"This thing is huge! This is exactly what we don't need!" Asuka cried, holding Shinji in her arms. She stared up at a giant snow worm as it opened up its toothy mouth.

"This thing is called a Sliver." Rei pulled out a Magic Lens and scanned the creature.

12000/12000 HP

0/0 TP

Weak: Fire

Str: Water, Earth, Lightning, Ice, Dark

"We cannot defeat it as things stand now, Soryu. We must retreat."

"Right!" She hefted Shinji up. "Let's run for it."

Rei dashed away from the creature with Asuka and Shinji slowly following behind. The Sliver dove underground. Its body erupted from the snow, blocking Rei's path. "Impossible!" Asuka and Shinji reached near her vicinity as its head reared up to the left of her. It slammed into the blue-haired Chosen, tossing her away.

The shockwave knocked Asuka back and Shinji fell down. Asuka got up as fast as she could. "Rei!" The Sliver's gray-blue head reared up, and revealed Rei flat on her face. The menacing creature turned its attention towards the being directly in front of it, a young boy lying on the ground with his eyes open. It pulled its head back farther. "Oh God! Shinji!" Asuka got up and dived for the boy. She picked him up and tried to move him, but the creature launched its attack. A steady stream of icy air blasted her back. She ducked down and held the pilot close to shield him from the damage. "I'm not going to lose you, Shinj-idiot. You're one of the only ones I have left." The Sliver's power continued to beat on her back. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh!"

Rei pushed herself up, and her eyes locked on the scene in front of her. Asuka reared her head back and screamed in pain. Rei reached out a hand towards them. "Asuka! Shinji!" The creature stopped its attack, and Asuka slumped over the boy she was protecting. Both were unconscious. Rei got up to full height. "No. No!" She pulled out her Kendama from behind her back. "You will suffer for that! Hrrrraaahhh!"

She charged the beast head on, ready to swing its head at the worm, when a red flash slammed it in the side of the head, knocking it away from her. "Rising Falcon!"

A streak of blue and white came down directly on its head. "Eagle Fall!"

Four red balls with yellow spikes landed on it, and it was struck by lightning. "Torrential Para Ball!"

Lloyd, Regal, Raine, and Collette landed around Rei. The swordsman and leader turned towards her and smiled. He and the others drove towards the giant eyesore. Lloyd tapped his sword lightly at the creature. "Okay!" The Unison Attack started. He jabbed the creature rapidly. "Sonic Sword Rain!"

Regal swiped his legs at the creature three times. "Triple Kick!"

"Ray!" Raine created a ball of light in the air and its discharges struck the creature four times.

"Hammer Rain!" Collette launched her Pow Hammer into the air and it split into multiple hammers. Half of them struck the Sliver. "Lloyd!" She said as the two flashed white.

They both raised their hands to the sky and spoke in unison. "Stardust Rain!" Tens of five-point stars stormed from the sky, either hitting the evil worm directly or bouncing off the ground and hitting on the second chance. The Sliver disappeared.

Lloyd finished off the battle. "You made a big mistake attacking our friends."

Raine immediately ran for the two unconscious pilots, with the others not too far behind. The professor looked them over quickly and shook her head. The Riehards approached and Sheena called out. "We couldn't find them at the Temple of Ice! We did find some footprints that went away from the...oh great hammer of godly thunder!" She immediately landed the Riehard and jumped off. She took one look at them and she trembled. "G...get them on my Riehard! Hurry! I'll take them to the doctor in Flanoir!"

She was instantly up in the air and maxing out her speed. The others boarded the three remaining flying machines. "Sis, what happened to them?" Genis looked up towards his sibling, noting the tears she was shedding as they took off.

"They were almost taken...into the grip of the ice queen."


	9. ToE CH8

Tales of Evangelion CH8

The Changes Within

By the time the other members of the team arrived at the doctor's office, they entered to see Sheena in tears at the waiting room. She looked up suddenly when Collette called her name. "I...I just don't know. He hasn't come out to tell me anything. I thought I lost Asuka on the way over. I...I..." She burst again. "I don't want them to die."

Everyone sat down. Zelos, who sat next to the sobbing young woman put a hand on her shoulder. "Sheena. There...."

She gripped his vest and collapsed her head into his shoulder, taking him by complete surprise. "They're dead. I just know it. They froze to death because I wasn't fast enough."

He slowly calmed down and put a hand to the back of her head. "You don't know that. Don't give up on them so easily. If we do, then they're as good as gone already."

"I...I know that it's just...why did they do something so stupid as going out on their own?"

"They tried to prove themselves to us unnecessarily." Presea turned towards Rei.

"Soryu believed that we were unworthy of your trust, so we went to prove it to you all. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Inconvenience?!" Sheena gritted her teeth. "What kind of inconvenience brings friends to the edge of their lives?"

Rei ignored the comment and turned towards Lloyd. "Mr. Irving, I have some vital information about the Temple of Ice. The creatures we encountered there have been logged into the Monster List, which I recommend that you all examine. Also, it appears that once again, the Sorcerer's Ring is a key. There is a station that will switch its functions to freezing capabilities. I believe that this will lead to the correct path to get to the Summon Spirit that you...." She was silenced as her face was slapped by an enraged Sheena.

"How can you be so heartless? Is that all you can think about? What about your comrades in there? Can you forget them so easily?"

Rei turned her head back and stared with serious eyes. "There is nothing more I can do. The situation here is out of my hands, therefore the only logical thing to do is prepare for the next situation, which is the inevitable return to the Temple of Ice."

Sheena raised a fist. "YOU DON'T CARE AT ALL!!!" She lunged at Rei, but Zelos wrapped his arms around her waist and held her back. "LET ME GO! SHE NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON! SHE DESERVES THIS!"

"If it were any other case, I'd be enjoying this immensely, Sheena, but you've got to get a hold of yourself. This isn't you. Calm down."

"NO! I SAID LET ME GO!" She struggled even more. She pointed a finger at the blue-haired chosen. "YOU COULD'VE STOPPED THEM! YOU COULD'VE TALKED THEM OUT OF IT! YOU'RE THE VOICE OF REASON IN THEIR GROUP! IT'S YOUR FAULT THEY'RE IN THERE!"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Raine stood up and stared at both of them. "It's obvious we're all on edge here, and getting angry with each other won't solve anything! Rei's right that there's nothing we can do, but Sheena's right that you could have stopped them in the first place. Also, this isn't the time to discuss future plans either. Now SIT DOWN!"

Sheena returned to her place, but that didn't silence her. "Asuka was right. You're nothing but an emotionless doll."

Rei looked down at her hands, gripping her knees tightly. A teardrop fell onto one of her knuckles. She sobbed. "I...I'm not. I'm...not...a...." She whipped her head up, tossing her tears into the air. "I'M NOT A DOLL!" Everyone blinked at her outburst as she clenched her fists. "Do you not think I blame myself for what has happened to them? I fought side by side with them, tried to protect them, but I failed. I failed to protect the ones I swore to, Ikari and Soryu. No, Shinji and Asuka. I watched it horror as that giant worm cut into her back with its icy breath. I was afraid. I was completely afraid, and when they collapsed, I felt a boiling hatred that I never thought was even possible. I would have torn that thing to shreds with my bare hands at that point, and most likely would have died in the process, but I would rather die than see those two do so. I care for them both, for they accepted me, at least in part, for what I was. Why can you not?" The entire office seemed to come to a standstill. Rei composed herself and returned to her original form. "I apologize for that outburst. Please understand that this is the way I am, and at the moment, this is the only thing I can do."

Silence permeated the building. Everyone felt sick to their stomachs. The silence was nearing maddening levels when the doctor came in, desperately wiping sweat off of his face. "They'll recover, physically. The young woman will need to be watched for the next day and lightly restrained. Most likely she'll go into convulsions to wake her nerves up. It's important that she isn't completely restrained. Let her move around a bit, but make sure she doesn't get violent. The boy was lucky. If you had gotten here any later and the frostbite wouldn't have been superficial, and he would have lost a portion of his hands. I had to remove the first four layers of skin and closed the wound. He'll be in bandages for the next three days at least. Honestly, if they didn't have Exspheres on them, they wouldn't have survived."

"Good, then we'll take them back to the Inn and watch over them there." Raine spoke to him.

"I'm afraid I can't authorize that. They will need to be monitored."

"Why? You said that they will be fine."

"Physically, they'll be fine. They're currently comatose."

Sheena gasped and sobbed. "No. Not like Grandpa."

"No, not like him." The doctor said as she looked up at him. "Yes, I remember you, Sheena. They are comatose, but it isn't a very deep one. They could come out of it at any time. The reason I authorized the Chief's release is because his coma was extremely deep. I'll keep them here until they awake, but I would request that at least two of you stay with them at all times. I do have other patients and no nurses. That will also cut back on your costs for them staying here while they recover. Even so, the fee will be somewhat high, due to the complexity of everything I have done."

Once again, Sheena gritted her teeth. "How...can you think about...."

"Sheena!" Lloyd stared into her eyes with a cold look. "Let it go. Just let it go."

The black-haired beauty sighed, and said nothing more.

The doctor left after accepting his payment, leaving them in the waiting room after telling them where Shinji and Asuka were being kept. Regal frowned. "Unfortunately, now our funds are somewhat lacking."

"So what do you propose?" Presea looked up to the man.

"There is little we can do to make money here. I recommend to get some fast cash."

"Does that mean...?" Genis grinned.

"Yes. We must go to the Earth Temple and fight the Dragon."

"All right!" Genis jumped up and down.

"Wait! We can't leave those two here alone." Collette pointed out.

Lloyd turned towards her. "We don't all have to go. We just need four people and the supplies."

"But who will stay behind then?" Zelos blinked.

"Well I'll go as usual, and we'll definitely need Raine in the fray. I'd like to take Genis along too, he seems like he really wants to go anyway. The last slot is up for grabs, but I wouldn't recommend Regal or Presea, considering that that creature is strong against physical attacks."

"Then Presea and I will stay here." Regal nodded to the girl.

"I'd like to come along, but I think Asuka would want to see a friendly face when she wakes up. I think I should stay behind." Collette talked her thoughts out.

"I...don't really have the will to fight right now. I'll stay back." Sheena was still sorrowful.

"I will accompany you." Rei spoke up.

"No you won't." Zelos stopped her. "When those two wake up, they'll need to see a person they know the best, and that would be you. Lloyd, I'll go."

Rei was about to speak, but Lloyd shook his head. "He's right, and we could use him. His magical swords will do more damage to the Dragon, and his spell casting will do well too. Zelos, your on my team." He grabbed the supply pack from the middle of the floor. "We'll be back by tomorrow with a big bag of cash." The four left.

"Who should keep watch over Shinji and Asuka?" Presea looked towards the others.

"I'll keep an eye on Asuka." Collette said. "If she's going to be thrashing around, I'd be the best to keep her from hurting herself."

"I will watch over Shinji if you wish." Regal stood up.

"I don't think that would be easy, just incase you need to give him medical attention, your shackles will be a hindrance to you." Presea said. "I will take the watch."

"No...I...I'll do it." Sheena looked up with darkened eyes. "Shinji trusts me. It's the least I can do."

"Are you sure?" Regal tilted his head.

"Yes."

"Then we'll return to the inn."

Regal, Presea, and Rei turned to leave. "Rei." Sheena said. The girl turned around. "About that outburst, I didn't...."

"I know. I accept your apology, Miss Fubayashi. And I am also sorry, for everything. Please let me know when one wakes."

"I will. Thanks."

Asuka lay on her side, her back wrapped in warm bandages. Collette sat on a chair next to her, watching over her intently. The red-head twitched slightly. The blonde blinked for a moment. "So it's starting."

Deep into the recesses of Asuka's mind, something was most definitely starting. A young girl in twin pigtails ran down a hall. "Hey mama! I got accepted into the piloting program! I know it's supposed to be a secret, that's why I'll only share it with you. Hey mama!" The door at the end of the hall opened. The room smelled of recently dead flesh, as a woman hung from her neck on the ceiling. "Hey mama! Look at me! Please look at me!" The figure only twisted its back towards her in its normal motion. The little child became Asuka in her true form. "She looks so happy with that smile. I hate that smile."

"Is that because you think that it should have been..." A voice spoke. The corpse turned around and faced the pilot. Asuka stared back at a lifeless version of herself. "me?"

The girl took a step back. "What...what is this crap?!"

"Welcome. You're dead. Or should I say that I'm dead?"

"No. I'm alive. I can feel it. I know it."

"You were never alive to begin with Asuka."

The real Asuka gasped. In the real world she began to shake.

"Mama never cared for you. Papa never cared for you. Step-mother never cared for you. You didn't even care for yourself. If you don't care about yourself, and there's no one to care for you, then you never really existed."

"Lies." Asuka turned away, but the Asuka in the noose appeared in the center of her vision wherever she turned.

"Come. Die with me."

"Never! You're wrong! Misato cares about me!"

"It's part of her job, watching over you. She's doing her duty and no more. And where is Misato now? Stuck in a place that you can never return to."

"We'll get back! We have to! We'll find a way! My life is there, and I won't abandon it."

"Life? What life? You have no life. Your soul is already cold, uncaring, and unfeeling. You only need to take the last step and die."

"But I...still have my friends...on this side."

"These people don't trust you, and they never will. And what about your other so called 'friends?' Since when have you considered Wondergirl a friend? Since when have you considered Shinj-idiot a friend?"

"Since I met them." She whispered.

"They don't feel the same way. Think about it. Ayanami said that only if she were ordered would she become your friend. As for that pervert, Ikari, think about what he's probably doing to your body right now. As we converse, he is most likely holding you in the worst places, ready to take your title of pure maiden from you at a moments notice."

"No." It was soft, but with complete conviction. "Shinji wouldn't do that."

"You know what he is, a spineless pervert that would take advantage of you as you slept."

"No! He didn't do anything during synch training, so why would he do something like this now?"

"Then why did he try to kiss you?"

"No, no, no! Stop making me think this! Shinji isn't evil!"

"Why do you hold on to this child?"

"It...it's...."

"Let go of him and die."

"It's be...."

"Die with me Asuka."

"It's because...."

"Die with me my darling Asuka."

"It's because he's just like me!"

"What?"

"He's so much like me. I can't help myself, but I can help him! He's one of the only things left to me in this crazy mixed up world!"

"Pathetic."

"So I'm pathetic. I don't care. No, wait. I DO care. I care about Shinji. My soul does care. So leave me alone!"

"You failed to protect him."

"What?"

"He will die from the cold his body sustained. If you join me, then you shall see him again in the afterlife."

"No! I tried so hard! I took the blast for him. I can't let him die! I just can't."

"Why not leave him and all the despair behind?"

"Because, I don't want to lose him." She held her hand to her chest. "I care deeply for him."

A soft warm voice echoed through the chamber. "Well done, Asuka." Her hand felt warm as a pale orange light expanded in the room from nowhere. Asuka's corpse looked up and disintegrated into dust, leaving the real one with only herself in the room. "He can still be saved."

"What? Who...who are you?"

"It doesn't matter right now. You must go if you have a chance to bring him back."

"But what can I do? I don't know what's wrong with him."

"Then a demonstration is in order." The orange light switched to purple and Asuka collapsed to the floor in shivers.

"H...h...he's f...f...f...freezing to death. Shinji, don't die. Please, don't die."

"Go to him, Asuka."

"I don't want him to die. I don't want him to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die."

"Then live, both of you."

Asuka's vision slowly faded. "Whoever you are, thank you."

"You are welcome," the female voice barely whispered, "darling Asuka."

In the real world, the redhead was tossing, rolling, bucking, and basically flopping around like a fish out of water. The strong platinum blonde kept her on the bed. "Asuka! Asuka, can you hear me? Asuka, if you can hear me, try to calm down a little." The pilot continued her tremors as the Chosen of Sylvarant called out across the screen. "Sheena, get over here! I can barely keep her under control."

The black-haired girl released Shinji's hand and wiped the tears she had shed on it. She threw the screen open between the two beds and ran to help her friend. She fell on top of Asuka's legs, holding them together. Sheena realized that the girl was an even match with her. "Come on, Asuka. Take it easy. Please!"

The girl became steadily more violent in her tremors. Her mouth opened wide, but no sound came out. She broke one arm free of Collette's grasp. The Chosen was stunned. "Great Goddess of Conscience, she's stronger than me! If this keeps up everyone will wind up hurt! Asuka! WAKE UP!"

Asuka arched her back and opened her mouth wide. Out of it came a shrill scream. Her mouth closed and she stopped thrashing. Collette and Sheena hesitantly let go and stared at her. The girls eyes snapped open wide and she turned her head towards the right, and noticed the back of a certain brown-haired pilot. She rolled out of her bed and landed on all fours. She tried to stand up, but to no avail.

"Asuka, get back in bed, you need rest!" Collette put a hand on her shoulder.

Asuka took that hand in hers and squeezed hard, causing the Chosen to yelp. After dropping the hand, she walked on her hands and knees towards Shinji's bed.

Sheena made a move towards the girl. "Sheena no! Look at her eyes. She's unstable. I don't know what she's doing, but she'll hurt us if we interfere with it." Collette said as she examined her hurt, but not broken hand.

Asuka pulled herself up onto Shinji's bed and wrapped herself around his back. "You're so cold, Shinji." She squeezed him tighter as she chanted. "Don't die Shinji. I'll keep you warm. Don't die Shinji. I'll keep you warm." She unsheathed her blade.

"Asuka, what are you doing?!" Sheena dove and tried to rip the blade from the girls grasp. Asuka overpowered her easily. The unstable girl pushed her arm under the freezing boy and lifted the blade over him. She pressed her hand against the flat of the blade. A red ring encircled both of them.

"I'll keep you warm." Her hand slid off the blade and the spell disappeared. "Keep my hand there." She whispered. "Collette. Sheena. Help me. Get my hand to stay on the sword." Collette took Asuka's hand in both of hers and held it against the blade. Sheena wrote down "immobilize" on a parchment card and attached it to Asuka's hand and the sword. The red-head smiled as the ring reappeared. "Thank you. Don't die Shinji. I'll keep you warm. Don't die Shinji. I'll keep you warm." Asuka slowly fell asleep from the soothing heat coming from her spell ring. The ring continued its existence as she slept, to everyone's surprise.

Shinji just lay there, on his side, in a deep comatose state. He sat in a train car facing the setting sun as it moved along the tracks. "Why is it always a train?" Sheena sat beside him as she waited. She sat in the seat opposing him, the setting sun gleaming over her shoulder. In a few moments she began to sob. "Miss Sheena, why are you crying?"

"Shinji, please wake up. Don't do this to everyone." She put his bandaged hand lightly in hers and stared into the pained look on his face. "Don't do this to ME! This is too much like my grandpa."

The boy didn't respond at all. "Your grandpa?" He blinked at the other passenger.

With her free hand, she brushed a hair out of his face and brushed his cheek. When she realized what she was doing, she returned her arm to her side quickly. She looked at the ground. "Shinji, I'm told that people in a coma can hear what others say to them, so I'm going to tell you a little story about my past." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm in a coma? Funny that it doesn't seem much more like one of my many dreams."

"My grandfather is the chief of Mizuho. That means I'm next in line for the leadership of the clan. He trained me in the arts of summoning and guardian usage. One day, he gave me all nine of his guardians and told me to go into the Temple of Lightning and make a pact with Volt, the Summon Spirit of Lightning. Volt went completely berserk. Six of the guardians were destroyed, leaving me with only three. I ran...I completely ran away, back to the village. Volt followed me, and devastated the place. A quarter of my village's population died, and half of what was left was injured. When I was attacked in the village, my grandfather tried to protect me, but he was struck by that creature, and so was I."

"Was that the pain I saw in your eyes, Miss Sheena?"

"When I woke up, I was in the very same bed you're in now."

"I guess she can't hear me."

"I had doctors trying to heal me every day, and sometimes the remedy was worse than the affliction. I was here for two years of my life as I slowly healed. But I soon came to realize what had happened, even though I tried to shut it out. Grandpa was in a coma, and I had not only failed my test, but the entire Mizuho populace."

"When I went home, I was looked upon with sympathetic eyes, but those eyes hid the hatred people had for me."

"Now you know how I feel after fighting in Eva."

"When I returned home, there was someone I missed terribly. Yeah, hard to believe huh? Me, Sheena Fubayashi, in love with a boy."

"I wouldn't say that. I'm sure everyone falls in love at some point."

"Well it was true. I searched for days to find him. I figured he was on assignment, so I waited and waited for him to return. He never came. I finally gave in and asked the vice-chief where he was. He was buried near his hut."

Shinji's eyes shot open. "I'm sorry."

"That nearly pushed me over the edge. I begged the vice-chief to give me an assignment, to transfer me somewhere so I could leave the memories behind. That's how I got the mission to assassinate Collette.

"Now I'm back here, in Flanoir, not as a patient, but as an observer. You may have noticed that I was really friendly to you when I met you."

"I didn't notice, honestly."

"The reason that was is because you looked just like that boy I loved. I thought it was a miracle. But then I realized that you weren't the same boy. Maybe in another place, another time, we could have been, but not here, not now."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be the one that you knew. You're still a very kind person."

"I can tell that you've got your eye on someone already. Even though she won't show it, she'll miss you if you don't come back."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Shinji, come back to us, please. I ran away and it brought so much pain to everyone including myself. You'll be doing the exact same thing if you don't come back soon. Don't abandon the people that need you the most." Her tears rained down on his bandaged hand.

"This isn't running away, is it? I don't even know how I got here in the first place. How can that be considered running away?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry to spill all of this on you, but I think you had a right to know. Also, if I didn't tell someone the whole thing, I probably would have exploded."

"That would have been messy."

She started sobbing again. "When will they stop? When will the tears stop? Wake up, Shinji. Wake up and tell me when."

Shinji stood up and walked over to her. "Sheena...I..."

He was about to put a hand on her shoulder when suddenly. "Sheena, get over here! I can barely keep her under control."

She straightened up and dried off the tears that fell onto his hand, and then pulled the screen away that separated the two beds. Sheena stood up and Shinji backed away. She ran out of the train car. Shinji was left standing there. "But...Miss Sheena!"

He continued to stand there, staring at the door, losing complete track of time. The sun had set, and the lights turned on in the train car. Shinji shivered. "Why is it so cold in this place? It was never like this before. Why haven't I woken up yet?"

Suddenly his world is rocked. The train tilted to the right, slamming him into a seat. He stares into two bright blue eyes filled with fear. "Asuka!"

"You're one of the only ones I have left." She closed her eyes in pain, and she threw back her head and screamed. She lost consciousness as the car returned to its original orientation.

She fell towards the boy. "Asuka!" He cried as he held out to grab her. She passed through his body as she disintegrated. "What...what the hell is all of this?" A cold breeze sliced through him from behind. He looked behind him to the next car back. A swirling black and powder blue mass was slowly taking over the car. It traveled across the surfaces in black veins as it spread. From the center of this affliction emerged a constant cold wind. Shinji backed away slowly as the black veins shot outward, traveling on the ceilings, walls, floors and windows. "It's so cold! What is this thing?" He turned and ran for the door. He fumbled with the latch until it finally opened, and he dove into the next car. The child latched the door and put his hands up against it as he caught his breath.

The black veins pierced the door and spread under Shinji's fingers. "Aaahhh!" He cried as a wave of severe numbing cold infected his hands.

He heard a woman's laughter, with a slight air of overconfidence in it. "You came into contact with a part of me. Therefore I'll now claim you as my own."

"Who...who are you?"

"I am the queen of this northern realm. I am Celsius."

A bright orange light flashed behind Shinji, forcing the black veins to recede. He finally removed his frozen hands from the door. "What was that?"

The flash disappeared as quickly as it came. The black veins erupted from the door, not connecting to anything as they shot out at the boy. One such vein touched the skin on his forehead as the light returned solidly. The veins receeded. "What is going on?"

A cone of purple light bathed Shinji. A soft woman's voice entered his mind. "She's calling to you."

"Who?"

The light switched to orange again. He heard a familiar voice whisper. "Don't die Shinji. I'll keep you warm."

"Asuka."

The purple light returned. "Go to her."

"Who are you?"

"All will be known in time."

The obnoxious voice growled. "I will not have what is rightfully mine taken from me." The black mass surged and churned forward.

The quiet voice hissed quickly. "Go now!"

The purple light faded, only to reveal the constant orange light coming from the cars ahead. "Thank you." He whispered as he took off in the direction of the light as the black mass churned behind him.

He opened the door to the next car and gasped. There, in the center, stood his father, Gendo Ikari, staring him down. "Pilot Ikari. About face and enter that creature."

"I can't do that. It will kill me, Father."

"I have no further use of you. Since you did not return, we have already found a suitable candidate for piloting Unit 01. This is a direct order. Rid me of yourself."

"You're not real. And you never cared anyway. Screw you." He ran past the facsimile of his father and entered the next car. A redish-brown haired Angel spread his wings and pointed his sword at Shinji. "Not you again."

"You were the reasons for my suspicions. You are the traitor. You do not deserve to live. Either enter Celsius's vortex, or face my blade. It's your choice."

Shinji pulled out his Lightning cards. "I think I'll take the third option. Teleport Seal!" He disappeared into smoke and arrived behind the Seraphim Angel. Shinji kicked him between the wings and propelled him towards Celsius's vortex. He unlocked the last door and dove into the light.

Shinji opened his eyes slowly, blinking at the lights in the room. He tried to move, but two arms wrapped around him holding a sword stopped his movement. His legs were also restrained by being interlaced with another's. The one thing he could do was turn his head enough to feel someone's breath on the back of his neck, and see a lock of red hair on his shoulder. He smiled and felt warm all around. Then he noticed the fire elemental charge ring rotating around both of them. The girl up against his neck snored softly. Sheena and Collette make contact with his eyes and smiled. "Thank you." He mouthed to them. They nodded and left. He felt sleep taking him, so he relaxed in his position. 'And thanks to you, Asuka, for guiding me into the light.' He joined her hands in pressing up against the blade, and the red ring expanded, and the center turned into the outline of an equilateral triangle. On each corner, there was a smaller circle. It disappeared as quickly as it was created, for his hands had fallen off of the blade. He was fast asleep.

A few moments after the boy rose from his coma, Sheena went to tell the doctor, and Collette got the others from the Inn. Rei, Presea, and Regal all hurried to the doctor's house. The doctor, though surprised at the two pilot's positions, worked around them, attempting not to disturb them as their temperatures were taken. "98.6 degrees." He observed. "They're out of danger. I have to say I'm quite impressed that she would use magic to bring their temperatures up. But she doesn't need to do so anymore. Sheena, you can remove that seal on her hand." Sheena nodded and tapped one of her attack cards to the parchment and it disintegrated. Asuka's hand slid off the sword and the ring disappeared. Sheena pried the sword from her other hand and sheathed it. With nothing to hold on to, Asuka wrapped her arms around the boy. Both of the pilot's eyebrows quivered. The doctor took notice. "They'll be awake soon, but I want you all in here only one at a time. Taking in too much at once could be detrimental."

The five nodded. "I've been up since I brought them over here. I need to take a nap." Sheena stood up.

Collette yawned. "I think I will too."

"Then I will watch over Shinji and Asuka." Rei nodded.

The others left and Rei borrowed a book from the doctor's library. She sat down in front of them and waited. She flipped over a page. "Fascinating. Such an odd combination of archaic and modern science and technology. It is surprising how they have come up with the ability to take to the sky, but not to the earth in vehicles. Very odd indeed."

"Ung." Asuka muttered as her eyelids tensed. She opened them and looked up slightly. She focused upon the blue-haired Chosen.

"You are awake. Good. The doctor said you and Shinji will make a full recovery."

"And just what do you think you're doing watching over me, Wondergirl?" Her arms squeezed tighter. She blinked, and turned towards what she was holding. It took all of her strength not to rip herself away, scream, and hit the boy in her arms. 'It's my fault anyway. I can hardly remember it, but just barely remember trying to keep Shinji warm. I must have wrapped my arms around him to share body heat.' She tried to back away slightly.

"I was watching over the both of you."

Asuka tried to move her legs, but they weren't going far. 'What is this? My legs are being held in place by...legs? Oh God, you mean I wrapped my legs around Shinji's too? What's wrong with me?!' She looked up at Rei, still emotionless as ever. Asuka turned extremely red, and screeched. The boy started to stir in her arms. She panicked, looked left and right, but soon just went into her previous position next to him and feigned sleep. She opened an eye. "Say a word about this and your life is forfeit, First Child."

"Ugh." Shinji groaned. Asuka closed her eye and feigned again. His eyes opened and he blinked to focus on the pilot in front of him. "Ayanami?"

"You're awake. Good. The doctor says you and Asuka will be fine, Shinji."

His eyes snapped wide open. "Wha...did you just call me Shinji?"

"Is that wrong?"

"No, it's just I've never heard you say it before."

"I have come to believe that we should speak to each other on better terms on this journey. So I have decided to begin to use given names other than family names."

"That's very nice of you Rei." He attempted to sit up, but was impeded by the German girl at his back. He rotated towards her and smiled. "Asuka." He removed her arms from him and placed them next to her side. He unlocked her legs, and rotated her gently to she was sleeping face up. He finally sat up.

He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Rei went wide eyed. "Shinji, do you think that you should engage in such a contact?"

Shinji turned towards the speaking girl. "It's just to say thanks. I don't know how, but I know she saved me last night. She pulled me out of whatever I was in. She looks so innocent when she sleeps doesn't she?" He slowly turned to look at Asuka as he spoke. "But when she's awake she's a real pain in the...."

He stopped. Asuka's eyes were half open, with an annoyed look, and a canine tooth showing out of her mouth. She stared at the ceiling. "I'm wide awake. What were you about to say?"

"Eeeeee!" He recoiled.

"Sleezeball!" Shinji found himself hitting the roof and falling face first onto his bed. Asuka was standing up next to his bed, fists clenched, and breathing heavily and angrily. Shinji chuckled in his pillow. "What's so funny?"

He sat up and laughed. "It's good to see you too Asuka."

She blinked at him. "What?" Her legs felt weak and she fell forward, onto the bed.

"Woah, are you okay?" Shinji said, putting a hand on her back.

"Don't touch me, idiot." She said as she sat up. "I'm just not as recovered as I thought."

He pulled his hand away. "S...sorry." Then he blinked. "Hey, wait a minute. Why do you hate it so much when I touch you, even though I'm doing it out of kindness, and yet you were all over me when I woke up?"

"Th...that was different. You were in a cold induced coma, so I was going to warm you up."

"Still, who told you you were allowed to touch me? For all I know, you were going to have a little fun with me."

"That...that's not true!"

"You're blushing." Shinji pointed out.

"I am not!"

"Then why does your face look like a tomato?" Asuka recoiled. "Payback's hell isn't it."

"Grrr. How'd you like your face to look like a blackberry!?"

Shinji recoiled again. "S...sorry."

"Don't lapse into that apology crap again!"

"S...sorry."

"Agh! Do I have to beat you up to get you to stop?!"

"S...s..."

"Ahem." The two pilots turned their heads towards the third, who had her eyes closed and had her arms folded in front of her. "Thank you. To get the obvious question out of the way, do you remember what happened to you?"

"The last thing I remember is reaching for a weird flower." Shinji said.

"You were in shock after that, Shinji." Asuka turned towards him. "I had to physically rip you away from that flower."

"It appears as if that flower had some sort of sub-zero poison that entered your bloodstream, lapsing you into a case of hypothermia." Rei stated. "The bandages on your hands were to treat the superficial burns such a low temperature creates."

"The last thing I remember was grabbing Shinji when that worm thing attacked." Asuka pondered.

"Wait, you held me twice?!" Shinji's eyes snapped wide open.

"Much more than that. She took the burden of carrying you. As for you, Asuka, you shielded Shinji from the Sliver creature's attack, but at a cost. The nervous system in your back temporarily shut down, and you both lost consciousness. Lloyd, Collette, Regal, and Raine arrived and destroyed the creature. Sheena arrived and transported you here, to the doctor's office in Flanoir. Sheena watched over Shinji, and Collette observed Asuka until you woke up."

"Oh, so that's what happened." Asuka scratched her back due to the itchy bandages.

"Thanks Rei." Shinji stared at the bandages on his hands.

"The others wish to speak with you. I will send one in a few moments." Rei got up and left.

"Asuka, why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Everything. Carry me, block that attack, and warm me up. Why'd you do all of that?"

"You did it for me, Shinji. Did you forget about the crash?"

"No, I haven't."

"It was only fair that I do the same."

"But you went beyond that. You actually put yourself in danger for me. I don't understand why you'd do that."

"Humph. Well, if you don't know I'm certainly not going to tell you."

"Wha...what?" He was about to say more, but there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Asuka called.

Regal poked his head in, walked over to the bed, and sat down in a chair. "It is good to see you two up."

"I'm surprised you're the first one to see us. If anything, I thought Lloyd or Raine would come and chew us out." Asuka leaned on the backboard.

"They're currently out gathering Gald from the Dragon in the Earth Temple. I have been assigned to give you the 'chewing out' as you so call it."

"Uh-oh." The pilots said in unison.

Regal shut his eyes and crossed his arms. "You were very stupid, all three of you, including Rei. Don't ever pull some stunt like this again. I will be the first to admit that I was doubtful of your loyalties when we first met, but I knew you would not betray us when you fought with us in battle, and saved Collette." He leaned towards them and stared into their eyes. "You gained my trust then, like you gained everyone's. What you did was meaningless, conniving, and dishonest. Don't do it again." The pilots just sat there, unable to move or speak. Regal got up and went to the door. "We'll always be there for you whenever you need us. Welcome back." He left and shut the door.

Asuka blinked, soon she sighed. "That was scary."

"That felt colder than ten of those freaky flowers." Shinji shuddered.

Asuka was prepared to say something, but there was a knock on the door.

"Come on in." Shinji called.

Presea peeked in, walked over to the bed, and sat in a chair. "Wise people should not do foolish things. I am pleased to know that you two will be fine. Goodbye." She hopped off the chair and left.

Asuka blinked. "Oh-kay. That was...different."

"But I think she got her point across." Shinji stared at the door, as a knock echoed through it.

"You can come in." Asuka called.

Sheena walked over to the side of the bed and sat down. She said nothing. She just sat there. She trembled for a moment, then began to stand up and leave. "Sheena, wait!" Shinji blurted. She turned her eyes towards him. "Asuka," He spoke without looking at her, "can you give us some time alone? You can make it to the other bed, right?"

"I'm comfortable right here. Besides, I need to keep an eye on you two. Who knows what you'd do behind closed...."

"Asuka, knock it off. This is serious."

"Okay, okay." She slid off the bed and limped towards her own. "What is their problem today?"

Shinji slid the sheet over and separated the two chambers. Sheena looked at him. "Thanks, but I should just go."

"Don't, Sheena. At least not yet."

"You heard what I said, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry I thought of you as the boy I loved."

"Sheena, will you be okay?" He stared at her eyes.

"Don't...don't look at me with those sad eyes."

"You loved him immensely. I can respect that."

"I'd do anything to be in his arms again, but because of me, I can't anymore." Sheena broke down. "I'm so selfish."

"Sheena, I'm not him. You know that. But you're a truly kind person. You weren't nice to me just because I looked like your love. Don't act like this whenever you see me, okay? Honestly, I suppose I kind of need you. Of all the people in this world, I think I can trust you the most, and I don't want to lose that."

"Thank you, Shinji." She got up and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened for a moment, before returning the embrace. "You hug like him too." She drew her face close to his.

"Stop." He whispered. His eyes were cold and unfeeling. "You're losing control of your actions."

Sheena looked into those eyes and recoiled. "You are different from him." She turned away. "I'm sorry."

"Sheena!" The girl stopped. "Even through what just happened, don't think that changes our current relationship. You're a great friend."

"Thank you." She moved towards the door.

"A wise man on my planet once said, 'Don't live it the past. Look towards the future. Don't forget the past, but let it help you become stronger each day to come.'"

"I will, Shinji Ikari, my good friend." She exited. Shinji withdrew the screen and sighed.

"Ooooh! Whatever happened over there sounded really juicy, Third Child. So, what did you do with her?" She put a large sly grin on her face.

"She tried to kiss me."

"WHAT?!"

"Why are you getting mad?"

"I...I'm not. Like I care. Heh. So, did you?"

"What? No! It was just a misunderstanding is all!" He waved his hands in front of his face in defense.

"Incredible. Absoultely incredible. The invincible Shinji Ikari gets the chance to kiss a girl and he backs down. You're such a wimp. Some guys would kill for a chance like that. I'm sure Zelos would even give up his legs to do so."

"How could I do something like that," Shinji whispered, "When it wasn't me she wanted to kiss."

"What did you say? I didn't catch that."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."

"You do realize that...." She was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

"Hey there!" Collette said as she poked her head through the door.

"Collette! Come on in!" Asuka grinned.

"Thanks!" The blonde bounded into the room and sat next to her on the bed. "So, I hear you're feeling better."

"Yes indeed. But these bandages itch like crazy."

"Well they were necessary. I'll ask how long it'll take until you can remove them later."

"Thanks. And thanks for keeping an eye on me."

"What can I say? I couldn't just do nothing. Besides, we're friends right?"

"You know what Collette? Your personality reminds me of Hikari Horaki from back on Earth. She's my best friend. Mind if I give you that title too?"

"Wow, really? Thanks Asuka. You know, you really gave me a scare before."

"A scare? What do you mean?"

"Before you woke up, you had this huge seizure. The doctor said it would happen as your nerves woke up, but I never thought it would be that bad. I'm sure the others have told you how strong I am. When I tried to get you under control, you broke free of me, and I can tell you, I wasn't holding back at all. It took both me AND Sheena to get you into a manageable control."

"Oh God, did I hurt anyone?"

"When you woke up, you crushed my hand. But its alright now."

"When I woke up? I don't even remember what happened. All I know is that I needed to help Shinji."

"And you did. You were so resolute you weren't about to let anyone get in your way. I saw it in your eyes. You would have attacked anyone if they got close."

"I did that? I'm so sorry, Collette."

"I'm just glad you're back to normal."

"Yeah, me too."

"Shinji? You doing okay over there too?" Collette called out.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I've been better, but then again I've been much worse."

"Good to hear it."

Another knock came on the door and the doctor walked in. "Okay, visiting hours are over. I need to check on my patients."

"Alright. See you soon Asuka, Shinji." Collette got up and exited.

Yggdrassil, leader of Cruxius and the Desians, exited from another session with his sister. He didn't fly, or teleport, but walked. He passed under four ominous shadows as he exited. He heard some commotion from above.

"Ow. This is painful."

"Attempt it again."

"Ow. This is not working."

"Try again over here."

Two angels were above him, bumping off of an orange force that repelled them. He shook his head. "For Cruxius angels, these two are idiots." He called up to them. "You there, what do you think you're doing?"

"We are trying to get a message to Lord Yggdrassil, but these creatures keep blocking us." One of them said.

"Hey, isn't that Yggdrassil down there?" The other said. They shared a look and dove down to the ground in front of him, which they smashed into face first. "Lord Yggdrassil, we apologize for our tardiness, but the field would not let us through."

"Don't you fools know that the only way to get past the field these creatures cast is to walk on the ground in between them?"

"Uh? Eh heh heh heh. We never really got that memo."

"What is your message?"

"Sir! We have gotten word that we have received enough Mana to initiate the attack. We also have begun stockpiling for the next Cruxius Crystal experiment."

"This is excellent news. You." He pointed to the first angel. "Send word to amass the troops in the designated area. You." To the other, "Walk inside and tell all of the guards inside to join the battle."

The second angel stuttered. "B...b...but sir! That would leave this tower unguarded. Is this not your most valuable place?"

"The three guardians will protect it."

"Sir, that is insane! We do not know of the guardians' true origins, or even how they exist in the first place. It would be madness to trust them."

"You dare to question my orders?!" A ball of white energy appeared in Yggdrassil's hand, and he drove it into the second angel. He screamed and disintegrated. The first stood there paralyzed in fear. "A wise man once said, 'If something is useful, make use of it.' They seem content on protecting this place, and so they shall. You. Carry out your fallen comrade's orders. I'll tell the troops myself."

"Y...yes sir! Glory to Lord Yggdrassil and the coming age of Half-Elves!" He ran inside.

Yggdrassil took to the sky and flew around the tower. "And as for you, my guardians, do not fail me. Your coming was strange, but I feel it was a blessing. Protect this place with your lives, assuming you have lives. The tower will be your responsibilities." The three giants he faced as he circled the tower made no response. "Farewell Prototype, Test Type, and Production Type." He teleported away.

"Well, I see no reason left to keep you here. You should be able to take off those bandages in a couple of days or so. Honestly I'd like to keep you under observation for another day at least, considering the ordeal you just went through, but I can't find anything wrong with you. I hear that Miss Sage is a good healer, and I'm confident that she can handle anything that pops up."

"Thanks doc." Asuka said as she hopped off of the bed.

"As for you young man, don't go plucking any weird flowers from now on. You're free to go too, but don't overuse your hands. You don't want those wounds to reopen now do you?"

"No, I guess not. You've got a nice bedside manner." Shinji gathered his things.

"Hehe, just for that, stop by next time you're in town. I'll give you a free checkup."

"We'll see. I'm not planning on getting sick anytime soon though."

"Well that's something we can never plan. There's this one patient of mine that always wants to get sick, but he never seems to catch anything. Now he's hanging around the guy who gets sick all the time. He's not getting sick, the other guy is getting better. Ha ha ha!"

Shinji and Asuka chuckled before waving goodbye.

For once, Shinji actually walked ahead of Asuka. He had his hands thrown back behind his head and seemed rather relaxed. "He was a nice guy."

"Yeah, he wasn't too bad." Asuka responded. Shinji chuckled for a second. "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking of that joke he told." He sent a smile her way.

"Shinji, are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You're smiling and it isn't disappearing right away."

"Really? Heh, I must be glad I'm alive or something. I'll probably go back to my old self tomorrow. But as long as I'm in a good mood, why not enjoy it, right?"

Asuka blinked at him. "Wow!" She whispered. 'When he's like this, he's actually really cute.'

"Hmm? Something wrong, Asuka?" He looked at her with one eye.

"Eh?" She shook her head violently. "N...nothing! Nothing's wrong!" She turned around and blushed. 'What am I thinking? This is SHINJI I'm thinking about. He's nothing but a perverted, weak dumpkoff, and this change is only temporary. He'll always be that spineless idiot.' Sure of herself, she turned around. "Let's keep going."

After they rounded a corner, Shinji stopped. Asuka stopped and tilted to see around him. A red-clad figure leaned against a post on the Inn's Veranda, flipping a coin. He snatched the coin from midair and opened his eyes. "Hey."

"Lloyd!" Shinji smiled as they ran up to him. "You're back! Did you kick some serious Dragon ass?"

Lloyd blinked. "Take a look at this." He tossed him the Gald piece. "There's around 600,000 more of those things we brought back."

"Awesome! But I bet you had a load of fun doing it too! So, what kind of Unison Attack did you use against it huh? I bet your combos could take it out in one shot. Hey just how big was the darn thing anyway? I mean I've heard...." Shinji continued to rant.

Lloyd leaned over to Asuka. "What's up with him?"

"He seems to be having a good day. Let's just roll with it for now."

"Yeah."

Suddenly a red-headed chosen appeared behind Asuka and collapsed upon her. "Oh, there you are. I was so worried. It hurt me to go and fight that Dragon over and over again, just so we could pay the fee the doctor charged to save you, my fiery hunnie."

"Hey, get off me, you jerk!"

"We share the same hair, Asuka. Do you think we share each others hearts as well?"

"Will you stop touching me?!"

Shinji stopped his latest topic in mid-sentence and turned towards Zelos. "Hey, get off of her."

"What?" Zelos chuckled. "Did the little injured adventurer just give me, the great Tethe'-allan Chosen, an order? If I want to express my loving emotions to this fiery lady right here, I'll do so. Speaking of which, how come you stopped struggling? That's half the fun!"

Asuka indeed stopped. She only stared wide-eyed at Shinji, who was beginning to boil through his clenched teeth. "I said, let. Her. Go!" He stomped up to Zelos and glared into his eyes.

"Or you'll what?" He chuckled as he leaned more of his weight onto the girl. "Snatch her out from under meeeeee!" He hit the hardwood veranda with his nose.

The red-head who he was under was now next to Shinji, who had his hands around her waist. "That wasn't a bad idea Zelos."

Asuka made no move to remove herself from the boy. She just stared at him some more. "Wow." She whispered.

"Why you little! You almost broke my nose!" Zelos said as he rubbed it.

"Me? Break your nose? Hey, it was your big head that caused you to lose your balance and hit the floor. I'm surprised you can even stay upright in the first place."

"Impudent little brat."

Until now, Lloyd just stood astonished at the scene in front of him, but seeing the tension, he decided to jump in. "Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy! Come on inside. I'm sure everyone would like to see Shinji and Asuka again."

Zelos scowled and did an about face. He stomped into the Inn, followed my Lloyd. Shinji and Asuka, still latched together walked in. Everyone was in the commons area, and their eyes nearly bugged out when they walked in together. Even more so when Shinji smiled a large smile and said. "Hey everybody, what's happening?" There was silence for more than a minute. "What? Did someone die or something?"

Presea looked at Rei. She only looked back. Regal and Raine both blinked. Genis and Collette had their jaws on the floor, and Sheena, well she passed out. Shinji seemed to be the only one that noticed the black-haired girl's predicament. He gave Asuka a small squeeze. "Be right back." He knelt down in front of Sheena. "Hey, Sheena, wake up! Man, she's out cold. Hey Zelos, lend me your sock would you?"

"What? Why should I?"

"Just do it. Or don't you want your girlfriend to wake up any time soon, you pervert?"

"Did Shinji just call someone a pervert?" Asuka stood astonished, touching the places where the said boy had held her moments before. "Wow."

"She is NOT my girlfriend, and I am NOT a pervert!"

"Then you wouldn't mind me borrowing your sock. Now give." Shinji held out his hand.

Zelos took off his boot and sock and slapped it into Shinji's hand. "I'd better get that back in one piece."

"Thanks."

Shinji dangled the article in front of Sheena's nose. She winced, coughed, and woke up. "Eeew! Ugh! What is that?!"

Shinji waved it around. "A stinky sock. Heheh. This thing could wake the dead."

"That is ripe! Who's is that?!" She said as she sat up.

Zelos turned red. "Give me that!" He snatched up the sock and put it back on.

"So, you're back to normal?"

"Yeah, I think. Are you?"

"What do you mean? I'm just having a good day is all." Shinji walked back over to the red-headed girl and patted her on the back. "Isn't that right, Asuka?"

"Um...yes." She continued to observe, but she didn't comprehend anything of what was happening.

Rei stood up. "Shinji, there is something seriously wrong with you if you are acting this way. Your normal self would never be this cheerful and jocular. I suggest you follow me and return to the doctor's office for a complete workup. If you resist then I will be forced to use...." Shinji erupted in laughter. "Wh...what is so funny?"

"This whole situation. The roles sure are reversed aren't they? Asuka can barely say anything, and now you're trying to threaten me. Look the doctor said there's nothing wrong with me. I'm having a good day. Don't spoil it." Shinji grinned from ear to ear. "So what does everyone have planned today?"

Raine shook herself out of her stunned stupor. "Well, I was going to remove Sheena's bandages from her legs. They should be fully healed by now."

"Does that mean I can join the active roster again?" She beamed.

"Yes it does."

"All right! Woohoo! I bet that makes you really happy, Sheena." Shinji's outburst rang through the building. "Hey I know, let's have a PARTY!"

"For taking bandages off? That seems highly wasteful." Regal had returned to his normal state also.

"Aw come on. Don't be such a stiff. We've all been through hell these past few days. Let's have some fun! Come on! To the upstairs dining room!" He pointed up and dashed up the stairs. Everyone stayed there paralyzed. He slid down the railing and made a four point landing. "Hey, are you coming or what?" No one said anything. He went to Asuka and took her hand. "Come on Asuka, I need your help with the meal." He tugged her up the stairs and disappeared with her. After a moment, he slid down the railing once again. "Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm the one cooking tonight?" Everyone shared a look and dashed up the stairs. The boy chuckled. "I knew that would get them."

"Cheese." Asuka placed a piece of cheese in his hand, and he bit into it. "Tomato. Peeler." Shinji peeled the skin off of the tomato, then crushed it in his hand and dropped the contents into a bowl. "Knife." The girl put the handle in his hand. "Kiss."

"What?!"

"Gotcha!" He grinned.

"Oooh!" She turned around and blushed. 'Who is this guy? This isn't the Shinji I know, he's almost...normal! Mien Gott, if he keeps acting like this I just might...just might...'

"Asuka? Hey, Asuka!"

Her train of thought was interrupted. "What?"

"I said 'grater.'"

"Oh. Here." She gave it to him.

"Thanks. Cheese."

"You just had a slice."

"The whole block."

"Oh." He was given the chunk of cheese and he started rubbing it against the grater furiously. 'He's really going all out! He's amazing! No! Stop it Asuka!'

"Agh!" Shinji cried. He drew back his hand. His knuckles were dripping red.

"Oh God, you're bleeding! BandAids, where are the BandAids?!" She started looking frantically.

"Um, Asuka." She looked up at him as he licked a finger. "My mistake."

"Wait a minute!" She snatched his hand, and without thinking, tasted his finger. "Tomato soup!?"

"Gotcha!" He laughed as he toweled off his hand.

"I don't believe you! You scared me half to death!"

"You're exaggerating, but thanks for caring."

"Thanks for...caring?" Asuka was stunned.

"Hey Asuka, you okay? This is the second time you've done this. You want to go wait with the others?"

"What? No, I'll help you out some more."

"There's not much left to do anyway, Asuka. I can handle it from here. Just go and relax."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure, now go on!" He lied. He still had the main course to finish while the cake was baking. 'But I don't to overwork Asuka. I want her to have fun tonight too.'

"Thanks." She got up and left.

Shinji rubbed his hands together. "Okay, now to get serious!"

The unusually happy boy dashed around the dinner table, putting bowls under each of their chins before the drool started stockpiling on the floor. In front of them all was a circle of glazed pork slices drizzled in white gravy, and a pot of stewed tomatoes with a melted cheese topper. Shinji poured drinks for everyone and raised his glass to the air. "CHEERS!"

His outburst brought everyone to their senses. "Cheers!"

"Now! Dig in everybody! Oh by the way, Rei. You see those three slices of pork closest to you? It isn't pork. I blended some veggies together and baked them to look like pork just for you. Have a good meal everyone!"

The party dove in and inhaled the entire meal. Lloyd and Genis were in tears. "That. Was. So. Incredible!" Genis would have hopped up and down if he wasn't sitting down.

"Wow." Asuka whispered.

"I hope you all saved room for dessert!" He dashed into the kitchen and pulled out a cake in the shape of a foot and placed it in front of Sheena, along with the cutting knife. "I would have put icing on it, but I didn't have enough."

"Well this is quite a surprise, Shinji."

"It's your party, Sheena. Now hurry up and cut it."

"I feel like I'm conducting surgery. Who wants what?"

"I'll have a slice of the arch." Collette licked her lips.

"Okay. I think I've got it now. I think I'll keep the toes for me." Sheena grinned. "And I'll give the heel to the heel." Sheena put that section on Zelos's plate.

"Hey!" Everyone laughed at him.

She continued to cut it up, and soon the entire cake was gone as well. They all reclined. "Shinji, this was a great party. Thanks so much."

Shinji jumped up. "It's not over yet! On to the downstairs!" He slid down the railing again. After sharing a look, the others followed.

The floor was cleared with the seats all around the center floor. Drink pitchers and glasses were on the coffee tables. Shinji was holding a small guitar and relaxing in one of the seats as everyone came down.

"So what is all of this, Shinji?" Lloyd asked.

"Singing and dancing of course." He strummed the guitar.

"You know how to play that thing?" Asuka cocked her head.

"It's the same basic principal as the cello. How hard can it be?" He strummed a few chords until he found the right one to start. He tunned his voice to the chord as the others sat down. "Aaaaaaahhhhhh! Zankoku na tenshi no you ni. Shounen yo shinwa ni nare!"

"Now you're talking, Third Child!" Asuka lit up and took a deep breath. "Aoi, kaze ga ima. Mune no DOA wo tataite mo. Watashi dake wo tada mitsumete. Hohoende'ru anata."

Rei took over. "Sotto fueru mono. Motomeru koto ni muchuu de. Unmei sae, mada shiranai. Itaike na hitomi."

Shinji returned it. "Dakedo itsuka kidzuku deshou. Sono senaka ni wa. Haruka mirai mezasu tame no. Hane ga aru koto. Oh yeah! Ready you two?"

"Yes."

"Hit it!"

"Lets do this!" They began to sing in unison. "Zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE. Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu. Hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de. Omoide wo uragiru nara! Kono sora wo daite kanayaku! Shounen yo shinwa ni nare!"

Everyone applauded. Shinji jumped up. "See? THAT'S what I'm talking about! Who's next?"

"I'll take that up!" Raine seemed to catch his enthusiasm. He handed her the guitar. "Lloyd. Collette. Genis. Do you remember this one?" She strummed a chord and their eyes lit up. Collette spread her wings and sang a note as Raine began, with Genis as backup. "Yozo laowo kakedu, na kadiboushi boima. Mitsuke na letena na ino iwo youkado."

Collete contintued. "Vaniatsu kimiko va batchnia tusuku. Konowa takedi itumo aru."

Raine continued to strum as Lloyd pounded his sword sheathes to the beat. Suddenly, Sheena started up. "Me do ehwa eonumi. Kiki wa ino cawa mida kobe. Ah stakika kudu mane anata akasita. Una mika muchi mudi haya soya koka owa. Kadie ayitei kayone."

Presea stood up as Lloyd beat his sticks three times. "Yuwi ho oh uka mi no mimano yu bokuni. Ona seyho seysuki ka nika kudi so segu. Yuwi tae lazuni ayowite oshizo. Maniako agete me wokuda."

The entire Sylvarant cast erupted in the chorus. "Yozo laowo kakedu, na kadiboushi boima. Mitsuke na letena na ino iwo youkado. Vaniatsu kimiko va batchnia tusuku. Konowa takedi itumo aru!" Raine strummed softer and softer until the music faded. The pilots applauded. "It's been a long time since I've played that song."

"Don't stop there. Keep going! Play something else. Make it a something with a beat to it." Shinji grinned.

Raine started up another song and the others started humming or singing along. Sheena slid over to Shinji. "This has been great Shinji. I couldn't ask for a better birthday present."

Shinji was stunned. "What?! You're birthday? Why didn't you tell me? Or anyone for that matter?"

"Yep. I'm seventeen today. I don't need any gifts. I've got a great adventure with even greater friends. That's why I didn't tell anyone."

"I see. Happy birthday, Sheena."

"Thanks, Shinji."

Rei took the guitar from Raine and stunned everyone as she went through the first few notes of a song in preparation. She began to play slowly. "Fly me to the moon...."

Shinji blinked, then grinned with a glint in his eye. "Hey, want to make Zelos jealous?" She blinked at him. "Let's dance." Her jaw fell open. He shut it for her. "I'll take that as a yes." He leaned over to Asuka. "Hey Asuka, don't accept any dance invitations." He winked at her. She confusingly blinked.

Shinji guided Sheena up to the middle of the floor. He sent a look to Rei that said. 'Keep it going as long as you can.' She nodded back in response. Sheena put her arms on his shoulders and he placed his on her waist. They slowly rocked to the melody in unison, staring into the eyes of the other. The personal space barrier melted away as they came closer to each other. Out of the corner of his eye on one of his turns, he saw Zelos grinding his teeth. He smiled at Sheena. "It's working." He whispered.

"You're evil, you know that?" She answered back.

"What do you mean?"

"You're enjoying torturing Zelos while at the same time getting within less than a millimeter of me. You really are evil."

"No, evil would be if I did something like this." He squished Sheena tighter, and she squeaked in surprise.

"Hey, that's getting into some bad territory here!"

"But look at Zelos."

Sheena checked the corner of her eye. The red-head was red faced and gnashing his teeth. He stomped off towards Asuka. "You ARE evil. And he's taking the bait."

"Good." He watched the Chosen as he attempted to charm Asuka. She snubbed him with extreme prejudice. He went over to Presea, but Regal gave him a cold stare and he backed down. He was about to go for Rei, but she shot him a glare before starting to sing again. In his last bout of desperation, he started to beg Raine. She sucker punched him with her staff. He fell on the floor.

"It's over." Sheena giggled.

"He got what was coming to him."

"Ok, you had your fun. Now it's my turn."

"Huh? Hey!" She brought his head closer to hers.

She brought her lips to his ear. "Let's hook up..."

"What?!"

"Let me finish. Let's hook up Genis and Presea."

"I like your thinking. You take Genis, I'll take Presea. Uh-oh. Mr. High and Mighty is back up."

"Then we'll give talk with our eyes. Turn us so I can face Genis." He did, and Sheena got Genis's attention. She shifted her eyes towards Presea. 'Go ask her.'

Genis shook his head.

She did it again.

He responded the same way.

Sheena held Shinji close and looked back between him and Genis. 'Don't you see how much I love dancing with Shinji? Go and get Presea for your own before someone else does.'

He shook his head and stared at Sheena with sad eyes. They flitted towards Presea. 'I can't. What if she doesn't want to?'

She looked cross at him. 'You won't know until you try. Now go!'

Genis dropped his head. 'Yes ma'am.' He slowly got up.

"Shinji, it worked. Now it's up to you." Sheena turned him to stare at Presea. They locked gazes. He flitted his eyes to the approaching Genis.

Presea's eyes widened. '!'

Shinji smiled at her and looked towards Genis again.

Presea stared at him again. '...'

He did it again.

'...'

Shinji turned cross.

'!'

He shot her a forceful glance.

''

He burned with fury.

'!)(!!($&#$$(7' She lowered her head in defeat.

Shinji smiled again.

Presea nodded.

Genis approached. "Um, hey Presea. Would you...you know, dance with me?"

"I...suppose." They got up to the dance floor. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know. I guess we should use Shinji and Sheena as an example."

The two original dancers shared a look and quickly moved farther away from each other and they intertwined a hand and they began a waltz. Genis and Presea followed suit. Shinji sent Rei a look. 'Your prerogative now.'

She nodded. She went through two more verses and a long instrumental closing. The dancers stopped. Sheena stared at Shinji for a moment while Genis and Presea sat down. "Thanks for a great birthday, Shinji." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, leaving him stunned as she sat down.

Asuka quickly dragged him out of the Inn as fast as her stomping would carry them. The others paid no mind as Regal got the instrument and started playing with his feet.

"Hey, Asuka. OW! You're going to rip my arm off! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Asuka brought him up to a balcony and threw him against the rail. "What the hell was that back there?"

"What's your problem? I just had a friendly dance with Sheena while playing a joke on Zelos and getting Genis and Presea together."

"Oh, that was more than a friendly dance, Third Child. You two were practically making out in the middle of the room!"

"Why would you care? You never have before!"

"Dammit Shinji! Just shut up!"

"No. Why should I listen to you? This is the best day I ever had and I'm not admitting defeat to you. Besides, I was most definitely not making out with her, nor would I want to."

"Yeah right. You mean to tell me that your hormones weren't raging when she was pressed up against you?"

"Exactly. I was in total control."

"That's a load of crap."

"Prove me wrong! I dare you. No I double, no TRIPLE dare you!"

"Fine then!" She put on a sultry smile. "Shinji. It's really cold out here. Could you warm me up?"

"Sure, Asuka." He pulled her close to him and rubbed her back softly.

"Come on. Don't be shy. Hold me closer. I'm still cold." She pressed her entire body against his. Her eyes widened at what she felt, or more accurately, didn't feel. "No way! That would have given anyone a nosebleed! How can you be in such control?"

"I don't know, but I am, Asuka." He separated from her and leaned against the railing.

"You're not the same Shinji from a few days ago, you know."

"I know. It's kind of scary. I mean. For some whacked out reason, I'm confident, happy, gutsy, and in control of my hormones. It's like I'm everything I've never been before."

"Why is it scary? I like this side of you."

"It's scary because I don't know what tomorrow will bring. Will I be like this, or will I go back to my old self? I don't want to lose this part of me, because I like it."

"Idiot."

"Hey!"

"If it's a part of you, then you won't lose it, don't you see? It's always there, but you just have to find it and unleash it. If you don't realize that, then you really are an idiot."

"Heh. Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right." She leaned against the rail as well.

A few silent moments passed. A snowflake passed in front of Shinji's face. Soon the air was littered with the soft ice crystals. "It's snowing."

"Yeah. It's also gotten colder."

"Come here, I'll keep you warm." Asuka entered his open arms. "It's really beautiful out here."

"Yeah." Asuka paused for a moment. "Shinji, I said a moment ago that I liked this side of you. I lied."

"What do you mean?"

She moved in closer. "I think I love this side of you. Me, Asuka Langley Soryu, the one doesn't need anyone, falling in love. Who would have thought of it?"

"Maybe somewhere deep inside, we both knew it."

"I think you may be right." She kissed him on the cheek.

After a quick blush on her part their eyes met. She drew closer to him and opened her mouth slightly. "Stop." It brought her out of it. "I won't. I mean, I want to, but can't. I don't want our first kiss to be one that I may never get again. If I'm back to my old self tomorrow, then I know you'll never look at me with those eyes you're staring at me with again. I want to wait, until that little boy I was and may still be can bring about this side of his own free will. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I think so."

He held her tight. "I don't want this day to end, but I know it will. Could you stay with me for a little longer, Asuka?"

"Yes. Of course I will." She laid her head on his shoulder. They stared at the snow as it covered the rooftops of the city. A tear rolled down Shinji's cheek, onto Asuka's forehead. She looked up. "Shinji?"

"Asuka. I'm getting tired. I...can feel myself slipping. Take me back. I don't want you to see me like this."

"I will. But Shinji, remember," She wrapped his arms around her and buried herself into him. "This is me you're touching. Hold onto that, and come back to me some day."

They walked back to the Inn. Each of them fell asleep in their respective beds for a long rest.

"Good morning idiot!" Shinji's eyes focused onto Asuka who was lying on top of him, smiling into his eyes. He tried to scramble away, but his movements were impeded by the girl. She turned sultry. "Don't be so shy, ShinJI!"

The boy blushed brightly. "Y...y...you're rather...forward...today."

Asuka's eyes shot wide open and she instantly rolled off of him. "Ew! You pervert! Get those thoughts out of your head!"

"I'm sorry!" He tried to scramble away, falling out of his bed.

Asuka pursued. "I always knew you had sick fantasies about me, but I never thought I'd have to feel the aftermath!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It was an accident!"

"And I was going to give you a good show today too!"

"Wh...what?" He turned red again.

"Grr. I'm gonna kill you!" She raised her fist.

He braced himself. "I'm sorry! Aaahh!"

The punch never came. Shinji lowered his hands to see Asuka sobbing. "He's gone. He's really gone." She ran out of the room, tears flying off of her face.

Shinji looked at his trembling hands, still bandaged from the incident. He recollected what just happened to him. "No!" He buried his face in his knees, and a steady stream of tears rolled down his cheeks.

Lloyd opened the door to the room. "Hey Shinji, are you ready to...." He stopped dead in his tracks. Shinji was huddled in a corner, tears flowing all over the place.

"I'm back." He whispered. He started sobbing again.

"I see. Take as long as you need, Shinji. We'll be waiting when you're ready." Lloyd closed the door behind him. "Poor guy. Finally finding what he wanted to be, but losing it after a day." He walked next door and knocked on it. "Asuka? You in there?" His only answer was some loud wails.

Slowly, Shinji gathered his things and met the group downstairs with red eyes. Asuka shortly followed suit in the same condition. Collette walked up to Asuka, and Sheena did to Shinji. No words were said. Their eyes told the whole story. The two girls threw their arms over the pilots, and tried to comfort them. After their moment of embrace, the pilots nodded and they began their journey again.

In the town, Lloyd was leading them to the exit when a man cried out in pain. "Aaaggghhh!" They ran to him.

Lloyd reached him first. "Hey Mister, are you alright?"

Collette spoke next. "Are you hurt? Hang on, we'll get you a doctor."

"No." The man gasped. "No, I'm fine now." He rose. "I was just struck by some evil energy. By any chance do you carry a Devil's Arm with you?"

"What is this 'Devil's Arm' that you speak of?" Rei asked.

"That Evil Eye Chakram is one of them!"

Presea spoke. "How do you know this?"

"Forgive me. I am Abyssion. Long ago an evil man terrorized all of Tethe'-alla. After a long battle with King Tethe'-alla, he was defeated, but his essence lived on in the nine weapons he wielded. They were scattered all across Tethe'-alla. His descendants were cursed to gather these weapons and destroy them all at once. Unfortunately, their lifespans were cut short by the evil energy stored in the Devil's Arms. I am one of those descendants."

"That's horrible!" Sheena said.

"I'm afraid I can no longer carry out my mission to seek the Devil's Arms. I do not wish for my family to suffer this curse any longer, but I'm afraid they must now."

"Oh, Lloyd, we should help him! We already have a Devil's Arm. Why can't we gather the others too?" Collette turned towards him.

A choice appeared up on the screen.

"Yeah. Ok. Let's do it."

"I don't think we should."

The cursor moves back and forth between these two choices.

(Author's Note: Okay people, now's your chance to let your voice be heard. You can affect the story! Do you want to search for the Devil's Arms as well, or just continue the plot normally? Post a review with your selection of the answer. Keep an eye out for more of these choices as the story continues.)


	10. ToE CH9

Tales of Evangelion CH9

A Hidden Power? / The Attack

After a long time deciding, the choice was obvious for the crew in front of Abyssion. "Yeah. Ok. Let's do it." Lloyd said. "Collette's right. We do have a Devil's Arm, and we are traveling around a lot. We probably would stumble across them anyway." The crew nodded in agreement.

"No, I couldn't possibly let you go out of your way like that." Abyssion retorted.

"Oh will you just shut up? We're trying to help you here!" Asuka grumbled.

"It is obvious that you cannot continue looking for them in your condition. We wish to help you break your curse before it is too late." Rei attempted to convince the man.

"They do not affect others than the ones in your family, correct?" Presea examined Collette's Devil's Arm closely.

"They shouldn't." The cursed man returned.

Raine walked to the front. "Then let us help you. We will find the Devil's Arms for you, and then you can finally seal them away. That is your goal, correct?"

"It is. I...I accept your offer." He pulled out some odd looking swords with eyeballs and handed them to Lloyd. "Here is my Devil's Arm, the Nebilim."

Lloyd obtained Nebilim.

"I was lucky enough to stumble across a Dark Chest and unlock it with my Nebilim Key, a cursed heirloom in my family. It's most likely that the others are sealed in other such chests, so take it with you as well."

Lloyd obtained Nebilim Key.

"It vibrates when there's a Devil's Arm around, so keep an eye on it. Come back here when you get the rest of the Devil's Arms. I'll be waiting and recovering."

"Don't worry Abyssion, we won't let you down." Lloyd pumped his fist.

"Thank you again."

They turned towards the exit, but Lloyd stopped and turned towards the group again. "Okay, I think it's time for the battle assignments again. Presea, get out your tall boots, because you're going to be fighting in the snow. Genis, back her up with your Fire and Ice abilities. Zelos, you're going in too, but I want you mainly on magic this time."

"Let me guess, you're going in as always." Zelos rolled his eyes.

"..."

"Yo, Tethe'-alla to Lloyd, you in there?"

"Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking of something. Actually, I'm stepping out this round."

"WHAT?!" The Symphonia team blurted as they each took a step back.

"Lloyd, you've always been in the middle of the fray. That's why you're our unofficial leader." Collette tilted her head to the side.

"Who are you and what have you done with Lloyd?" Sheena raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you'd be happy, Sheena. You're taking my spot."

"I...I...what?"

"It's no big deal. I know you've wanted back on the roster for a couple of days now, and I need a break. Think you've got the guts?" He smiled.

"Don't know about guts, but Sheena's sure got the bu...." A parchment stuck to Zelos' lips.

"Finish that sentence and you'll be in traction." Sheena snarled. "I'd love to do it. Thank you, Lloyd."

"..."

"Lloyd?"

"Oh sorry. I did it again didn't I?"

"What's wrong? That's the second time you've spaced out."

"I was just thinking about this one collector told me, about this rare flower, called a Celsius Tear. He said it could freeze anything. Think it might be the same flower that got Shinji?"

"Would make sense." Raine spoke. "Such damage could only have been caused by something extremely below the freezing mark."

"Well, let's get it!" Lloyd smiled. "It might come in handy."

"Are you completely mental? Look what it did to Shinji!" Genis pointed at the said boy.

"Exactly my point. If we had something like that, we could probably make good use of it. Possibly use it as a weapon."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Regal stepped in front of him. "Such a creation is too cold to touch."

"Not quite. The collector I talked to said that the only thing that can handle a Celsius Tear is a pair of Penguinist Gloves." He put his index finger to his forehead. "All we have to do is get some gloves and we'll be set."

"Great idea, Lloyd. Let me guess. You have absolutely no idea where to find Penguinist Gloves." Zelos crossed his arms.

"Of course I do, I...I...yeah." He sighed. "So much for that."

Collette giggled and put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "You can't find them Lloyd, they're made. There was an old man in a charm shop that said that he could make Penguinist Gloves. All he needs is three Penguinist Quills."

Genis dove into his pack and pulled out five long, blue feathers. "You mean these seemingly worthless things? I was going to dump them at the nearest trash can."

"That's them. Give me a minute and I can go back to the shop and get some gloves." Collette grinned.

"Okay, here." He handed her three Penguinist Quills.

"Be back in a flash!" She trotted away.

"Genis, perhaps we should keep these other two." Presea examined the two remaining items.

"Indeed. If they can make something to hold a flower of such low temperature, then it must be of some use by itself." Rei twirled one in her fingers.

"Let's equip them then, see what they do." Zelos sat down on a bench and crossed his legs.

"Equip?" The three pilots asked in unison.

"Oh yeah, I guess we forgot to tell you about that part. Though we wear the same clothes on the outside most of the time, we have special armor underneath that we can change as the bad guys get stronger. There's headwear, armor, armwear, and two other things of various nature. You guys don't have that much equipped except the stuff we gave you. Don't worry, we gave you the best armor we could find, but we wanted to leave the decisions for the other items up to you. Asuka, Shinji, why don't you wear the Penguinist Quills?" Lloyd chuckled a little.

Shinji and Asuka equipped the Penguinist Quills, where is anyone's guess. "So, how do you feel?" Raine asked.

"I feel...warm? Not like overly hot, but comfortable, like I'd be used to the cold." Asuka said.

"I guess the same goes with me."

"A resistance to ice possibly?"

"What is available that I can equip?" Rei looked into the bag, carefully examining each item and theorizing if it would help or hinder her. "I believe I will take some Boots and a Cape." Within ten seconds, she had both items on. "I believe this will help."

"Are there any spare Capes in there, Rei?" Shinji looked over her shoulder.

"Two."

"Ah, those are from our early days, when it was just me, Genis, and Collette." Lloyd reminisced. "We were so naïve."

"Some of us are still naïve." Genis shot a glance at Lloyd as the swordsman landed a fist on his head. "OW!"

"I think I'll take one. Asuka? How about you?"

"Hmph. The fashion statement sucks, I'd never wear something like th...whaaa?" She pulled out a small jewel. "What is this beautiful trinket?"

"Sardonyx. I got that from Volt after we finally beat him." Sheena walked up to her. "It's supposed to turn your attacks to the electrical type."

"I think I'll use it." She equipped it. "So cool!"

"What's cool?" Collette returned.

"Oh, welcome back Collette." Lloyd smiled.

"I love it when you say that." Collette giggled.

"I know, I know. We were just telling these three about equipping. So did you get the gloves?"

"Yep!" She put on a goofy smile as she held up two blue and yellow gloves that looked like small oven mitts.

Obtained Penguinist Gloves.

"Well, that means we're all set. Let's hit the road. On to the Temple of Ice!"

As the group set foot into the overworld, they charged straight ahead, with Sheena leading. As they trudged through the snow, they came upon a small dip. In that dip was a Stomper. They tried to walk around it, but it jumped and hobbled at them. BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Zelos, and Presea vs. Sliver

"Look at this big guy!" Genis stared up at the huge gray ice worm. He instantly began to use a flame charge. Zelos did the same while Sheena and Presea dove in the fray.

Sheena swung her cards to the left and right, then she slipped one straight onto the creature's underside. It exploded into multiple other cards as she whirled around and slapped it another time. "Pyre Seal Pinion!" The giant creature flinched slightly.

Presea jumped and swung twice with her giant blade. "Hytah, hytah." Upon landing, the worm began to move. "Resolute Infliction!" She swung her axe upwards three times, gaining altitude each time. The first two attacks hit, but the worm dodged the third as it dove underground.

Zelos finished his spell as it completely disappeared from view. "Ready for this? Fireball!" The three glowing spheres drove forward and disappeared, after hitting nothing. The Sliver reemerged, knocking Zelos high in the air. "Woah!" He bounced off the ground and flipped around onto his feet. The creature reared its ugly head as Zelos pulled in close. He swung his sword as he jumped and a fireball shot out of his hand, traveling down the length of the worm before exploding against the ground. "Hell Pyre!"

"Burn!" Lava bubbled up underneath the Sliver from Genis' spell. "Eruption!" The giant creature was struck badly three times. "Found your weakness!"

As Sheena and Presea approached, the worm dived underground, clipping Genis in the process. They stopped in the middle of the battlefield waiting for it to emerge, it did, right under Sheena. It tossed her aside and she hit the ground. Presea whirled her axe from side to side, causing two horizontal slashes. As Genis and Zelos began spellcasting fire again, she somersaulted and jumped, slamming the blade into the creature, rocks jumped out of the ground against the creature. "Devastation!"

The Sliver reared its head back and an icy stream of air shot out of its gaping maw. It swept its head from side to side and the stream followed. The icy wind bit into Zelos for a combo hit. "Agh! Not the face!"

Presea looped around the creature and began to slash again as Genis finished his spell. "Reduce this evil soul to ashes. Explosion!" A small meteor landed dead center in the Sliver's back and detonated, engulfing it in fire. The creature exploded into a puff of black smoke. The battle ended with Genis beginning the last words. "Don't worry, I'll protect you Presea."

"Then I shall protect you too Genis."

"Ohhh....okay..." The battle ended with them picking up a Rune Bottle for their troubles.

Sheena led the team out of the dip and forward onto a flatter landscape. The going was smooth the entire time, until they neared the mouth of the cave. There, a Blobbo blocked their path. They charged straight ahead, into the horde of enemies. BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Presea, and Zelos vs. 2 Ice Spider and 2 Penguinist

"You guys stalking me or something?" Zelos opened the battle as he encircled himself in a white ring. Presea and Sheena dove straight in while Genis concentrated on a light blue ring. "Ready for this? First Aid!" The redhead called out as he spun around. He instantly recovered from most of the damage done to him last battle.

Presea targeted a Penguinist that was waddling her way. She whipped her axe around 360 degrees horizontally as Sheena headed towards a Penguinist. "Punishment." She took the axe and swiped it at the Penguinist diagonally, twice. "Egh, ha!" The Penguinist was no more after another of these two slashes.

Sheena's Ice Spider wasn't a dumb insect, the instant it saw her, it guarded. The ninja slipped a few cards its way, doing very minimal damage. But, being as determined as always, she didn't give up. "Drain Seal!" She sucked 1 TP point away from her guarding enemy. "Serpent Seal!" She failed on reducing it's accuracy as the dark seal spread around the creature. She was so preoccupied with the first Spider, that she didn't see the second come up beside her. It chomped on her leg, and she flinched. The first one also began to bite.

While Sheena was stuck between bites, Genis finished his spell. "Cool off. Ice Tornado!" A whirlwind of snow formed around Sheena and the Spiders. It blew the creatures high into the air and they exploded into smoke from their weakness to ice. "Hey, not too bad." He rejoiced.

Zelos's target was the second Penguinist. He sliced it a few times with his equipped Flame Dagger, then spun into the air. "Hell Pyre!" A fire bomb shot out of his hand and exploded around the Penguinist, making the creature disperse into a black cloud.

The battle ended, with Zelos closing. "Thanks for making me look so good!"

With the obstacle out of the way, Sheena pressed forward.

Temple of Ice

A: Enter

B: Leave

A: Enter

Lloyd stepped out in front for a second as they entered the grounds. "So this is the Temple of Ice, huh? I'm kind of surprised. We've never come across a seal that has monsters outside of the cave before."

"Lloyd, that's such a profound observation!" Raine went into hysterical scholar mode. "We should document this experience and compare it with our other visits to seals and see if we can determine why such a thing occurs." She continued her rant.

"Great, she's at it again." Genis whispered to Lloyd.

"We'd better get out of here quickly then. And I know just the people that can help us. Hey, Shinji, Asuka, Rei. Could you come here for a second please?"

The three approached. Rei understood what he wanted. "You wish to know of our experiences in this area, correct?"

"Hit the nail on the head, Rei. First off, how deep does the cave go?"

"We never got to explore the whole thing." Shinji spoke.

"When the idiot over here spotted the flower, we took the path that went to it. There was a second route that probably led deeper." Asuka elbowed Shinji, making him wince.

"Okay, then. Next thing. How did you get to the flower?"

Shinji pointed to a snowy ledge almost directly above them. "There. There's a path on that ledge that leads to a secondary cave. You'll find that horrid creation there." He scowled and then looked at his hands. The ends of the bandages were dangling off of his wrists. "Do we really have to go after that thing, after all the trouble it caused?"

"It didn't cause the trouble, you three did when you left out on your own."

"Ouch." Asuka winced. "Point for Lloyd."

"And yes, we do have to go find it. It might come in handy. Everything we've found in a dungeon or cave has been extremely helpful. And who knows what we could use it for after it's done? So we're going, and that's final."

"Understood." Rei responded.

"Last thing. Where is the Sorcerer's Ring station?"

"On the right of the entrance. It was the easiest thing to see in there. I'm surprised that no one has tried to rip the thing off." Asuka crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

"Okay then. Thanks for the info. Oh, by the way. Even though you did act on your own, you got us some good info on the place. I don't like what you did, but thanks just the same. Now, go on and...do whatever it was you were doing before."

"We were walking, same as you." Asuka cocked her head.

"Oh yeah, walking, heh heh. I forgot." Lloyd rubbed the back of his head.

"Why did you give up your battle spot today anyway, Lloyd?" Shinji asked flatly.

"What? You think you're the only one that knew of Sheena's birthday, Shinji?" The swordsman grinned as the pilot just blinked. "I asked Vice-Chief Tiga last time we were in Mizuho. So I thought this would be the perfect present. She's a born leader anyway. But I've gotta say that you put on one hell of a party for her. I think she really loved it."

"Uh...yeah. She told me." He blushed.

"Oh geez, give me a break." Asuka rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just ask her to marry you and get it over with?"

"What? Where did that come from? I'd never...." He blushed even redder.

"Ugh, I'm going to beat those perverted thoughts out of your head."

"Why do you care what or what I'm not thinking, Asuka?"

"I...I...I..." She stopped and saw the rest of the group out of the corner of her eye walking into a Penguinist. 'Saved by the battle.' She sighed inwardly. "Hey they're starting up another battle, hurry up!" She dashed away to get a good spot.

Shinji blinked for a second. "She didn't even slap me?" He shrugged it off and went to join the crowd, with Lloyd and Rei close behind. BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Presea, and Zelos vs. 4 Penguinist.

Once again, Zelos opened up. "You guys a part of a gang or something?" He charged forward and one Penguinist slid on its belly into him. He flinched, but was instantly back up, and he began to hack away at the creature.

As Genis surrounded himself in a brown ring, Presea went straight into battle. Two Penguinists threw four snowballs at her each. "No!" She said as she blocked with the flat of her axe. She dove for them. When she reached the first one, the second waddled up beside it. Two against one wasn't good odds, even with her strength, so she tried to take them both out at once. She whirled her axe around her twice. The first slice made them flinch. "Beast!" On the second slice, the blue lion-head illusion blew them on their backs.

Sheena's Penguinist rolled a giant snowball over her, striking her three times. Once it disappeared, she attacked. After three hits, "Serpent Seal!" The seal exploded into darkness and lowered the Penguinist's accuracy. After the seal was completed, she pulled out another. "Pyre Seal!" It burst into multiple cards and blew it into a pile with the other two.

Genis took over from there while Zelos took the final slash on the fourth Penguinist. "Engulf this pathetic soul! Ground Dasher!" The field cracked open and rocks shook out of every crack during the earthquake it caused. All three Penguinists were destroyed.

The battle ended with Genis flashing the victory sign. "That's what you get for messing with me!"

The group joined together once again and entered the cave. On the right of the entrance, there was a glowing bowl. Lloyd walked up to it. "So this is it?"

"Yep, that's the changing station." Asuka said proudly.

"Then let's try it out." Lloyd tossed the Sorcerer's Ring into the bowl and pulled it back out. "Woah! The ring just got cold."

"I bet it has the power to freeze anything." Genis said, examining it.

"Good, then let's test it on you."

"Lloyd!"

"Heheh. I'm kidding. I'm kidding." They continued on their journey into the cave. When they climbed up the rocky incline to the next level, they encountered a Penguinist. "Let's see how this thing works. Ha!" A puff of freezing air turned the Penguinist blue and it stopped moving. "I like it." They walked around the creature easily.

Shinji stopped in the middle of a straight section of the path. "Lloyd. You wanted to know where it was? It's there." He pointed to a shining metallic object on a high ledge.

"That's the Celsius Tear?" Sheena looked up to where the pilot pointed.

"Exactly where we left it." He bit his lip and clenched his right fist.

"Well, we now know one goal." Lloyd placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Thanks Shinji."

A moving object caught Sheena's eye. A cat was scampering at the crossroads. "Oh, how cute, a kitty!" She walked towards it.

Asuka's face washed with fear. "Sheena, don't! That's not a cat! Someone stop her!" The fighting group ran after her, with the inactive group close behind. The cat spotted her and ran towards her, but it was very obvious that it wasn't a cat, and there wasn't just one. BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Presea, and Zelos vs. 2 Lobo

"This'll be cake." Zelos scoffed as he charged a white ring. Presea and Sheena closed in on their respective giant wolves. Genis stepped a little closer before starting a purple spell. Zelos finished his spell quickly. "Ready for this? First Aid!" He then jointed the fray.

"Thanks." Sheena said as she was healed. She jumped just as her Lobo started attacking. She got two aerial hits in before getting smacked down by a big blue paw.

Presea had a little more luck with her Lobo. After blocking its first bite, she hacked at it twice, and then used her signature aerial triple slice "Resolute Infliction!"

Zelos joined Presea and sent his slashes and thrusts into the creature, finishing off with scraping his sword against the ground twice, creating two separate shockwaves that cut under the creature. "Double Demon Fang!"

Genis took care of finishing off that Lobo. "Wanna charge? Thunder Blade!" The electrical sword that pieced the creature was enough to make it explode into blackness.

Sheena recovered from her blow, and decided to get revenge on the HP taken from her. She used three melee attacks, and then shot a seal at the creature at blinding speeds. "Life Seal." She regained about 78 HP. The Lobo didn't take the leeching lightly, as it howled and summoned a wind around it that blew her into the air. When she hit the ground, she turned black. Sheena quickly stood up and levitated a guardian card as a spell circle with a triangle with circles on its points appeared at her feet. "I call upon the hammer of godly thunder. I summon thee." Sheena snatched up the card and raised it to the roof. "Come, Volt!" The Summon Spirit of Electricity, a big plasma ball with eyes, stared at the creature. Its eyes went wide and electricity coated the creature, destroying it.

As they picked up some Super Pellets and a Beast Hide, Sheena closed the battle. "Aw, do you regret facing me? Well too bad! It's a little late now."

Now at the crossroads, the group had a dilemma. Collette turned to Asuka. "Asuka, you said you went up to the left to check out the Celsius Tear. You didn't go right, did you?"

"No, we didn't go right." Asuka shook her head.

"Then I'd suggest we go to the left, Lloyd. That way, they can show the way."

"Why are you asking me? Sheena's the one in charge today." The swordsman put his hands behind his head.

"Sheena?" Collette turned towards her.

"It's a good idea, Collette. We'll go left. Asuka, lead the way."

"You know you should probably ask...what?" The redheaded pilot tilted her head.

"Lead the way. You've been here before, and have probably observed the most. We're counting on you."

"Me...lead?" She got a proud grin. "Okay, troops, when it comes to the topography of this place I'm the authority, and no one questions me, got it? Onward!" Asuka pointed to the left path and marched off up the sloping path.

The others slowly took their place, but Shinji, and even Rei slumped. Shinji walked up to Sheena and tugged on her sleeve. She looked down at him with a questioning look. He whisper/muttered to her. "You do realize that you may have just condemned us, right."

"Oh come on, we can handle anything that comes our way."

"It's not the monsters I'm worried about."

"Shinji is correct." Rei appeared beside him in the same state. "Asuka, in her boosted ego state will soon begin ordering us around like very low subordinates."

"Oh come on, she can't be that..." Sheena was interrupted.

"Pick up the pace! You're holding us up!" Asuka called down to the three.

Rei and Shinji echoed each other's words. "See?"

They climbed the rocky wall onto a ledge, with a cave exit. "Now that we're all here," She thrust her thumb towards the hole. "That's the way to get to the Tear. Follow me and hurry up this time!" Asuka walked out into the snow covered outer ledge, and when the others joined her, she pointed to a frozen pond. "That connects to the iced over lake by the entrance. Be careful not to slip down it or you'll not be getting up the same way. To our left is the path we want to take." They continued down the thin ledge. A worm creature crawled into their path, and Sheena jumped forward into it. BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Presea, and Zelos vs. 3 Ice Spider

"Fifty percent output should be sufficient." Presea opened the battle as she chose the spider on the right. She ran her axe through it horizontally and then stabbed it with the pointy end. The spider opened its mouth and cast a stinging spider web over her, which she squeaked at. With a quick somersault, she slammed her blade atop the offensive creature, causing a damaging shockwave. "Devastation!"

Genis charged a light-blue ring as he flipped the ball of his Kendama onto the arms of it with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and grinned. "Get 'em! Icicle!" Presea's Spider was skewered from below by a sharp chunk of ice. Before Presea finished it off with a single hack, Genis spoke. "Found your weakness!"

Sheena took the center Spider while Zelos took the one on the left. The female ninja hit it thrice swiped a special attack. "Serpent Seal!" A black cloud reduced its accuracy. She flashed white. "One more! Serpent Seal Pinion!" She slapped one card, whirled around and replaced it with another, completely coating it in thick black smoke. After dodging a bite from the weakened creature she proceeded to finish it off.

Zelos ran headlong into his fray. He thrust his sword forward, and turned his body, twisting the blade. He pulled it out and slashed it. "Light Spear!" He spun his sword around as he rotated into the air, catching the Ice Spider's chin, if one exists, and lifted it up with him. The Spider fell to the ground quickly and shot out its pincers and caught the Tethe'-allan Chosen's leg. He winced for a moment before he shot his sword straight into the beast. "Lightning Blade!" A thunderbolt lanced from above and struck the creature, making it explode into blackness.

Zelos ended the battle. "Not even a contest!"

Asuka pushed the fighters out of the way as she continued on her headstrong mission. She stopped in front of an impassible rut on the ledge where water dripped down from an icicle. The redhead spun around on her heels. "Lloyd, this is where you and that weird ring come in." She stepped aside. "Fire away!"

He shrugged and approached the crevice. He shot a puff of subzero air across the droplet path. A giant ice cube started to form as more and more water dripped on it. Once at full size, it dropped into the crevice, creating a bridge. "Pretty cool...literally!"

Raine was thinking hard. "How is it possible to create a block of ice in midair? By all accounts it should be a sphere or a teardrop, not a block."

"This was also my observation." Rei looked towards the woman.

"As long as it works, is there any real reason to complain?" Regal spoke for the first time in hours.

"No. I suppose not. I wish we could study how it manipulates the shape in a lab, like the one in Sybak."

Lloyd looked over his shoulder. "The problem is that the Sorcerer's Ring goes back to its normal fire function once it gets far enough away from a changing station."

Asuka called out from the other side of the crevice. "Hey! Are you coming or what? You people are so slow!"

Genis muttered. "I am really getting tired of her ordering us around like she owns us."

Lloyd sighed. "Yeah, this is a real drag. We need to throw her off her game, but how?"

"Um, we could do this...." Shinji whispered into his ear. "If we get everyone to say it, she may just get the hint."

"You think that will work?" Genis started imagining scenarios. He shuddered at one. "It sounds like a 50 chance it will work."

"And the other 50?" Lloyd asked the inevitable.

"We get beat senseless." Shinji winced as Genis said this.

"It's worth it. Let's spread the word."

Lloyd and Genis went through the group as they went to catch up with Asuka. When they told Collette, she got annoyed. "I'm not saying that! That's underhanded! I'll stay out of it."

"..." Was Presea's only reply.

Zelos was more than willing. Sheena too. Raine and Regal just shook their heads. They caught up with Asuka, who had her back against a rock face, peeking around the corner. She flattened herself against the wall again. "That damned bird is still there from last time."

"Heh, how hard can it be?" Zelos walked down the path around the rock. The flapping bird spotted him and dove. BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Presea, and Zelos vs. 2 Feather Magic and Ice Warrior

"Let's get this over with." Genis started off the battle as he began to charge a brown ring.

Sheena ran after the Ice Warrior as it raised its right arm. It shot 5 globs of ice at her, three of which hit her as she approached, stopping her in her tracks. Once the barrage ended, she moved in close, getting in two hits with her cards before the thing swung its large sword at her and blew her onto her back.

Presea took the first Feather Magic. She jumped into the sky with it and hacked at it twice. She once again used her signature uppercut. "Resolute Infliction!" The creature fell to the ground as it flinched. She tried to prod it with the pointy end of her axe, but it took to the sky and shot a group of sharp feathers at her.

Zelos also took to the air with his attack, striking to the right and upwards. His Feather Magic plummeted in its flinch, and he took full advantage of it. He twisted into the air. "Light Spear Cannon!" The slices caught the creature. He landed and held his sword at an upwards angle as a long beam of light shot out of it. The Feather Magic landed on it for four more hits. As he got in position for another attack, the creature flew up again and flapped its wings, creating a whirlwind around the swordsman. He took three hits from his trap before it dissipated. He jumped once more and smacked the bird-like monster down to the ground.

"Pancake time. Stalagmite!" Genis completed his spell. Zelos's creature was hit three times in the stomach by a protruding rock as it grew out of the icy ground. The third hit ended it for that bird. Zelos backed away as Genis started charging up another spell, this time, red. Zelos took care of a white spell.

"Pyre Seal Pinion!" Sheena was getting desperate. The Ice Warrior was a very tough creature, built for hand to hand combat. Even its one eye was shielded. It was blown onto its back. She pulled a quick tactical retreat and jumped backwards. Zelos gave her a bit of First Aid, and she recovered a chunk of health the creature ripped from her.

As Sheena pulled back once more, the Ice Warrior loomed up again. Genis opened his eyes. "Reduce this evil soul to ashes. Explosion!" The icy guardian was destroyed in the red bubble.

That left only Presea and her Feather Magic. With a quick upward slash, she brought it down to her level, and she whirled her axe around twice. "Beast!" The creature exploded the moment the lion-head illusion touched her.

The battle had ended, and Presea dug her axe into the snow and leaned on it. "It looks like it is over."

"Well of course you have a better time of it than we did. You had four people, we only had three." Asuka scoffed as she pushed Zelos out of the way.

He grumbled as he watched her round the corner into the cave opening a short distance away. "We are so going to do this prank." He got up and filed in with the others as they entered the cave.

Asuka pointed at a crystalic blue and gray flower planted right at the edge of the small ledge. "Here you go Lloyd. One troublesome flower."

"Well, that's got to be the Celsius Tear. And we've got the Penguinist Gloves too. So let's grab the darn thing and take it with us." Lloyd pulled out the gloves. "Shinji? Care for revenge on that thing?"

"What? Me?!"

"After what happened to you, you deserve it. Put on the Penguinist Gloves and rip it out with extreme prejudice." Lloyd dangled the gloves in front of the boy's face.

He snatched the gloves. "Thank you." He slipped the mitts onto his bandaged hands. "Okay, I'm walking up to the flower. I'm bending down to the flower. I'm picking up the flower. Just pick up the flower. It's not that hard. Just pick up the flower. Come on, and pick up the flower, Shinji. Go ahead and pick up the flower." But his hands wouldn't close around the stem.

"Pick up the damn flower Shinj-idiot! Quit being a wimp! Remember what that thing did to you!" Asuka yelled in his ear.

He thought for a second, then his expression turned fierce. He gripped the stem. "That's right. This is nothing but another enemy. This Tear is going to cry, right..." He plucked the flower from the ground. "now!" He stood up and grinned at his meager success. But a soft laughter reached his ears, that of the creature in his dream. He wrapped the flower in the gloves and sneered in disgust. "Stow this Lloyd. The sight of it makes me sick."

Lloyd took the gloves and flower and put it in his pack as Asuka scoffed again. "Wimp." Everyone stared at her. She coughed. "Onward! To the second path!" She went to the cave entrance and turned around. "And no slacking this time! I want speed!"

Lloyd and Shinji nodded to each other. Lloyd, Genis, Zelos, Rei, and Shinji all spoke at once. "Ya vol mein fuher. Heil Asuka!" They stretched their right arms up in the air.

"Wh...wh...why you little! There's only one person who would thing up something like this! Shinji Ikari, you are so dead!" She dove for the boy, but he sidestepped her quickly.

He took off outside, screaming, as Asuka gave chase. Genis looked at Lloyd. "I didn't think that would happen."

Sheena sighed. "We should hurry and make sure they don't run into any monsters." They ventured outside and followed their tracks in the snow.

The black bird was lying on the ground, upside down, with half of its feathers missing. Zelos chuckled. "Wow! Asuka singed it!"

"I feel sorry for the poor thing." Collette added.

They continued across the ice cube bridge, and saw the worm creature, squished in the center by a foot, completely dead. Raine examined it. "Shinji must not have seen it and just stepped on it."

"Those two took out two enemies without even trying? If only we were able to harness that, we would never have to trouble ourselves again." Regal scratched his chin and smiled.

"That's assuming Asuka doesn't kill Shinji first. Let's keep going." Sheena told him.

The tracks led back into the main cave. When they entered, Asuka sat atop a treasure chest and waved, smiling. "Hey guys!"

"Asuka, what happened to Shinji?" Presea searched around.

Asuka slammed her heel into the side of the chest and it yelped. "Do you have to ask?"

"Asuka, release Shinji this instant." Rei's face actually seemed cross.

"Fine, fine. He's already gotten what he deserves." She hopped off the chest and kicked the lock.

It popped open, spilling out a gasping and groaning Shinji. "That was cruel."

"That's what you get for making fun of my country's heritage, and for actually pulling a prank on me."

Shinji got up and dusted himself off. "Oh, I found this when I was in there. Here."

Obtained Life Bottle.

"Well, I guess my job is done. You've seen everything I've seen, and I have no idea what lies on the other path." Asuka stretched. "You're on your own."

"Fine by us." Sheena said. "Let's head back down." Sheena led the group to descend the sloping pathway. Once down to the fork in the road, they drove straight ahead.

They crossed a clear blue ice bridge, but Rei stopped in the middle of it. Presea took notice of the missing friend and went to her side. "Is something troubling you, Rei?"

"Perhaps. Look down there." She pointed over the edge to a group of four statues facing the center. "Do you see those statues?" Presea nodded. "Now look on the other side." A lake with stalagmites and four statue heads sticking out of the water was before them.

"The statues are there as well." Presea whispered and Rei nodded. The pink-haired girl walked back to the other side and returned. "But the positions of the faces don't match."

"That was also my observation. Mark it well. We may need it." They returned to the rest of the group as they passed through a narrow passage between two rocks.

The group continued to walk down to the bottom of the ramp. Lloyd turned to the right and cocked his head. "A lake? Why would there be an unfrozen lake in the middle of this freezing place?"

"The water seems to be moving. It doesn't have the chance to freeze." Asuka examined the ripples.

They kept going forward, until their advance was hindered by a large river. "Well, this is a problem." Genis spoke. "I can't freeze this much so we can't cross."

"Do you hear something dripping?" Collette said.

"You still have your Angel senses, Collette. We can't hear it." Raine told her. "Where do you hear from behind us. Not too far away. It's just dripping water. Like from an icicle."

"An icicle?" Shinji looked at Asuka.

"Like the one we made the ice block from! Collette, can you take us there?"

The blonde Chosen nodded and everyone started filing in behind her. After a short walk, she stopped and pointed to the wall. "There it is. See that big icicle?"

"Oh yeah. Thanks Collette." Lloyd examined it more closely.

"You're welcome Lloyd, now do your stuff." Collette stepped away and Lloyd jumped back and shot an icy blast at a falling water droplet. The air started to swirl and freeze the water around it. Soon, there was a large block of ice. It landed with a dull thud.

Lloyd rubbed his hands together. "Okay, let's get going!" He started pushing on the block. The other seven Symphonia members joined in, either pushing or pulling the block. "Heave ho!" The cube began to slide slowly towards the river. "Again!"

The three pilots just stared. "They certainly work well together." Rei commented.

"You and I are like that Rei." Shinji turned to her.

"Hey, what about me?" Asuka put her hands on her hips.

"You dove in at the 7th Angel without thinking, and then we both had to pay for it with that synch training." The boy looked her way. "Ow!" A small lump appeared on his head.

"I didn't slave day in and day out in that synch training just to hear you say that we don't work well together. Take it back!"

"Okay. Okay! I'm sorry!"

"Not good enough. You say that even if you don't mean it."

"Sorry."

"Don't start with me."

"I'm..."

"Hey guys! Eight people work well, but eleven would work better. A little help?" Lloyd grunted, throwing his weight into the block once again.

The pilots went to either the left or right side of the block and gripped the corners. "Heave ho!" They all cried at the same time, and the ice cube slid farther a few feet. "One more should do it. Everyone to the back end. Ready? Heave ho!" With one final push, the block splashed into the river and stayed in place. They all celebrated.

Through all the celebration, no one saw a cat creature cross the block. Sheena groaned. "Aw, man! After all of that, this is our reward? Let's go guys." BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Presea, and Zelos vs. Bigfoot and 2 Penguinist.

"Let's get started!" Genis said as he started it out. He began a purple charge.

Zelos began a red charge as Presea and Sheena began to attack. The giant hairy creature stepped forward as the Penguinist on its left slid on its belly in front of Sheena. The female ninja whipped her seal cards around the creature. "Serpent Seal Pinion!" The giant penguin was surrounded by blackness.

Presea closed in on the Bigfoot, but, knowing the experiences of the three that faced it before, she switched targets to the Penguinist to its right. After a quick slash by the girl, she was far enough away from the Bigfoot's face to attack it without the danger of being licked. She switched her target back again and somersaulted. "Devastation!" Her axe cut the side of its face and the impact sent rocks flying up from the ground. As the creature flinched, a giant X flashed across its eyes.

"I call upon thee in the land of the dead to unleash thy fury of thunder. Indignation!" Genis called out his attack and a purple and white ring spread out around the Bigfoot and extended around its right-hand Penguinist.

Zelos began to help Sheena out. "Burn baby! Eruption!" Lava bubbled up around the girl's target, shooting it up and into oblivion. "So that's your weakness."

Genis's attack completed, and lightning struck the center of the circle, destroying the Penguinist and knocking the Bigfoot over. Sheena and Presea dove after it as it slowly got to its feet and blinked red. As the two began basic melee attacks, it sat down, sending a shockwave that knocked them back. The creature stopped blinking as the two jumped up. Presea swung her axe over her head. "Infliction!"

"Pyre Seal Pinion!" Sheena pressed an exploding card against the creature and it exploded into blackness.

Sheena ended the battle as she crossed her arms. "It's over!"

"Let's save the celebration for when we get Celsius." Lloyd said. Everyone nodded. They all crossed over the block of ice, rippling the water around it as they moved.

Regal moved to the very edge of the lake. "It appears as if we have to cross to move on."

"Then we'll have to freeze the lake." Lloyd said as he approached a large waterflow pouring into the lake. "I guess we can try here." He fired the Sorcerer's Ring at the water.

The lake solidified for a moment, but returned to its normal state. Lloyd groaned. "It's no use. The water is moving too fast." Genis commented.

"What about your ice abilities, Genis?" Asuka asked.

"The same thing would happen. I don't have enough in me to freeze an entire lake."

"Hey!" Lloyd got an idea. "Why don't we use the Celsius Tear? See if that works!"

"It's worth a shot. Go for it Lloyd." Zelos said.

Lloyd pulled out the Penguinist Gloves and the flower and broke off a petal. He tossed it into the flow, and within seconds the entire lake had solidified. "All right it worked! Now we can cross." He stepped on the ice and fell flat on his face. "OW!"

"Lloyd, the ice is very slippery. You'll most likely keep going until you hit something." Raine spoke as she examined the ice.

"Yes, like your face." Everyone looked at the blue-haired Chosen, who had spoken. They blinked for a second before chuckling at the rare joke.

"From the looks of it, there are stalagmites blocking the way to the other side. What are we going to do? Collette can't fly us across." Sheena crossed her arms in thought.

"Bumper pool." Shinji stated softly.

"What? Bam-par pool?" Lloyd struggled with the new word.

"Asuka, do you remember that game?" The pilot spoke again.

She thought for a second, and then her face brightened. "Oh yeah! In our world, there is a game called bumper pool, where you hit these small balls around on a soft tabletop and ricochet them off of posts to get them to where you want them."

"We'll just be a human game of bumper pool. Once we hit something, we'll push off in a different direction until we find a way to the right spot." Shinji nodded.

"That's an excellent idea. I'm glad I thought of it." Asuka smiled proudly.

"Huh?" Shinji blinked for a moment before he muttered, "I'm the one that thought of it."

"Yeah right, idiot! You couldn't come up with a rational thought without your other two stooges and their two brain cells."

"At least I think instead of jumping into everything!"

"What?! Who's the one that barreled into the 12th Angel against orders?!"

"Who's the one that convinced me to take point?! And it's better than having your Eva being used as fish-bait, which is basically all it's good for!"

"Wh...wha...WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Oh no." Rei spoke. "Shinji, you have just made a very large mistake. I would recommend you run."

"DIE THIRD CHILD!"

Shinji took off across the ice, instantly kicking off in the next direction, as the flaming pilot followed yelling all the way. They went around the entire course and dropped out of sight. Regal smiled. "If we could only bottle that power, we would never have to worry about our finances again."

"We'd better stop her before we find Shinji in little pieces. Let's move." Sheena started bumper-pooling, with the others filing in behind her.

They passed the closest statue face and Rei spun around to face a certain pink-haired girl. "Presea, right."

She saw the statue. "Understood." They passed the second statue counterclockwise. "Down." The third. "Down." The fourth. "Right." They found the stalagmite that would take them to the other side of the lake and landed on rock. "Let us compare, Rei. What did you get?"

"Right, Down, Down, Right, counterclockwise."

"I concur."

As the group joined together on the shore, Asuka sat on another treasure chest behind a rock and smiled. "What took you so long?"

"You didn't stuff him in that chest again, did you?" Raine sighed.

"He deserved it." She stood up and kicked the chest with each word spoken. "Don't call Eva fish bait again!" Asuka kicked the lock open and Shinji spilled out.

"You're a very violent person, did anyone tell you that?" He said, pulling the kinks out of his back. "Hmm? What's this thing?"

Obtained EX Gem Lv. 2.

"Oh, an EX Gem!" Collette noted as he pocketed the item. "Those are rare. We'll have to show them how to use them later, right Lloyd?"

"Yeah, but not right now. We've got a Summon Spirit to beat." The party headed forward, but stopped in front of four statues, a stone door, and a tablet. Lloyd approached the tablet and read it. "'The solution is in a high place.' Aw man! You mean this thing is locked? What high place are they talking about?"

"The ice bridge." Rei approached the first statue. "Presea, your assistance please." The little girl with brute strength came to her and grabbed the statue. "Right." They rotated the statue until the face pointed in the direction they wanted. "Next. Down." The next one was moved. "Next. Down. This one is already in position. Next. Right." With the final move, there was a soft click, and the stone door slid open. They dusted off their hands as they returned to the group. "It was a simple observation."

"Way to go Ayanami Rei! I think I'm in love!" Zelos applauded.

"And the difference between now and any other time?" Sheena grumbled as she snatched his collar. "Come on, we've got a Summon Spirit to fight." The rest of the team filed in behind her as she dragged his sorry butt into the next chamber.

The final cave was a vast hole of rock. In the center of the floor was an inactive altar podium. When Sheena and the others approached, ice crystallized the room in random places. A slightly obnoxious voice echoed through the cavern. "So, you come to me at last. Excellent."

Shinji quivered. "That voice. That's the same voice as in my dream."

"So you do remember me. Then that will spare me the introductions. You may tell them my identity."

"Celsius. Her name is Celsius. Just what do you want of me you witch?!"

"What do I want? Ha. I don't want anything of you. You touched a part of me, therefore you belong to me. It doesn't mean I like it, but you are now bound to me."

"What do you mean 'bound to me?'" Sheena stepped in front of the boy.

"Oh, a Summoner! Well, if you must know, since he touched my tear, he shall be bound to me. Now come little boy and be my servant." Ice spread and closed in on Shinji.

"Shinji, get away! Hurry!" Sheena looked on in horror.

The ice spread to within inches and formed a solid case around him. Shinji just stood there, clenching and unclenching his fist. "You tried to kill me, and now you try to make me your slave?" He whipped out his cards. "I, Ikari Shinji, am no one's property!" He levitated a card in the air and pressed his hand against it. The bubble of ice shattered. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME!"

The blast blew the others to the floor. Sheena sat up. Shinji kept the ice at bay with a white ring with an equilateral triangle with three small circles at its points. "Shinji...you're...."

"An unexpected twist. Who ever heard of two Summoners in a party?" Celsius audibly grinned.

"Shinji's a Summoner?" Genis stood up quickly.

"What? Summoner? Like Sheena? Sheena, what do I do?" Shinji looked at his Tethe'-allan friend.

Sheena shook herself out of her shocked state. "Shinji, ask her who she has a pack with! And say it in formal language. Hurry!"

"Celsius, with whom do you have a pact?"

"I am one who is bound to Mithos. Who are you?"

Sheena placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "I am Sheena." She winked at the boy.

"And I am Shinji."

"We ask that thou anulst thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with us."

"Two Summoners at once? How amusing. I shall test your worthiness of my powers. Besides, I still need to claim my prize."

"Shinji, do you feel up to this?" Sheena asked him. Shinji looked at the bandages on his hands, clenched his fists, and started to unravel them. "Shinji!"

His bandages streamed down next to his feet. "I have a score to settle with Celsius. I'm going in, if you approve or you don't." He stared at her with determined eyes. She nodded. He turned towards the altar and pointed. "Celsius, you made a big mistake crossing this party. I promise you that instead of your desire, your power will be..." He assumed a fighting stance. "Mine!"

Rearrange your party so it includes Sheena and Shinji.

1. Sheena

2. Genis

3. Raine

4. Shinji

BATTLE SCREEN!

Sheena, Genis, Raine, and Shinji vs. Celsius and Fenrir.

Celsius appeared in the air by a normal sized wolf with blue fur, red eyes and long, tusk like fangs. The female-looking Summon Spirit with a white complexion spoke as she landed. "Show me your power."

"You're all mine!" Shinji said as he opened the battle officially. He drove for the Summon Spirit, and Sheena paralleled him. Genis began a white spell as Raine raised a Magic Lens to the sky.

Fenrir

12000/12000 HP

300/300 TP

AA: Ice

Weak: Fire, Lightning

Str: Water, Ice

The scanned creature dove at Sheena and knocked her away. Shinji stopped and turned around, but Sheena just waved him on. He nodded and returned to chasing Celsius, not seeing Fenrir do a tempest-like somersault into the girl. She countered with a few melee hits and a "Pyre Seal Pinion!"

Shinji got close to Celsius and swiped a few cards her way. He used is usual staple attack. "Shock Seal!" He defibrillated the spirit.

Celsius countered with some cold punches, but Shinji's Penguinist Quill reduced the damage. She cried, "It's over!" and she slammed her palm against the ground, and a giant crystal of ice surrounded Shinji. He cried out as his knees gave out under him. The ice disappeared as his body hit the ground.

Genis finished his spell. "Get 'em! Dreaded Wave!" Fenrir's ground became indented and it was buffeted by shockwaves as the ground shook, doing a 10 hit combo of damage. Raine counted down the seconds as she got ready to use another Magic Lens. After five full seconds she raised the second to the air. Afterwards she began a white charge. Genis began a red one as well.

Celsius

16873/18000 HP

535/600 TP

Weak: Fire

Str: Water, Ice

Sheena continued her assault on Celsius' annoying pet. "Serpent Seal!" She failed to reduce its accuracy, and when she tried to hit it with some more melee abilities, it launched a barrage of back flips and charges, rending her with its horns. She was thrown back the third time, barely having the strength to get up again.

Shinji got up, even angrier than before, and he blinked red. He charged the Summon Spirit again. He slipped her a few more cards, and flashed white. "This power! Shock Seal Pinion!" He put two seals on either side of Celsius as it did an initial shock, but he whipped out a third and pressed it in the center, creating a triangular defibrillation, and in result sending her flying.

When she got up, she flashed red while Shinji's flash disappeared. The boy charged her again, but she warped away a yard or so behind him and quickly charged a light blue ring. "End this! Freeze Lancer!" The spell ring went vertical in front of her and shot daggers of ice into Shinji's back.

"Root of all creation, grant us the breath of life! Revitalize!" Raine's spell spread throughout the field and everyone recovered 75 of their total health, basically giving everyone a full gauge. She moved a little closer to Fenrir as she started another charge.

"Reduce this evil soul to ashes. Explosion!" Genis' attack bombed Celsius and blew her onto her back. He decided on a purple charge for his next trick.

Fenrir dug his paws into the ground and guarded as Sheena closed in again, blinking red, with hatred burning in her eyes. She slipped a green card its way. "Drain Seal!" She stole about 6 TP from the creature. It pulled out of its guard and shook its fur, sending out waves of cold air, hitting Sheena. It also reached Raine, breaking her of her spell.

Shinji closed in on a blinking Celsius once more and she warped behind him and swiped her arm, sending an icy blast hurtling towards him. "Not this time. Teleport Seal!" He raised a card to the air and disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear behind the enemy. "Seal Barrage!" He shot five cards that exploded into white shock and pain as Celsius' guard broke. He swiped a card for a 1 HP hit, "Start it off!" The unison attack began, with Celsius as the target. "Shock Seal Pinion!"

Raine was next, surrounding a flinching Celsius with an orange ball of light. "Photon!"

The ball exploded as Genis partook. "Explosion!" The blast blew her in Sheena's direction.

"Serpent Seal Pinion!" Sheena did the final individual attack. Both Sheena and Shinji sparkled next to each other. "Ready? Dark!" Sheena's black cloud seal swirled around the Summon Spirit.

Shinji jumped into the cloud, and concealed in darkness, attached three cards to Celsius. "Spark!" Shinji jumped back out as the attack exploded, a flash of yellow light in the darkness.

Celsius' knees gave out and she hit the floor hard. Shinji tried to hit her with a card, but she became surrounded in blackness, reaching Over Limit mode. She got up and started engaging Shinji in hand-to-hand combat.

Fenrir wasn't about to be left out. It dove for Sheena once again as Genis resumed his purple charge. "Guardian Seal!" Her seals created a green sphere around her as the beast tried to tackle her. It was repelled. She jumped backwards and pointed a seal towards the ground under Fenrir. The air swirled around her and it in the same pattern. "Cyclone Seal!" Fenrir was blown up into the air and a hundred cards appeared around it and exploded, sending the cards flying. Fenrir was nothing more than a memory and a Monster List entry after that attack.

Genis' attack, originally meant for Fenrir, now targeted Celsius. "Wanna charge? Thunder Blade!" The electric apparition pierced the still black Celsius and exploded around her, without even making her flinch.

Shinji caught Sheena's attack out of the corner of his eye, and fought off Celsius as Genis' attack was used. He got frustrated and jumped away from her as her Over Limit mode faded. He flashed white again. "Why won't you die?! Vortex Seal!" He pointed into the air above the creature and the air swirled around both of them in the same pattern. They were both drawn into the air by a wind funnel, and Shinji slammed an attack down on her head, sending her to the ground.

Upon impact, two ring shockwaves emerged from her and time stopped. "How cold of you." Time resumed, and she fell to the floor, not to get up again.

Shinji ended the day. "Is this what being a Summoner is about?" The team picked up a Spirit Symbol and a Blue Quartz.

Celsius hovered over the altar. "Excellent. It would appear my wintry blasts are nothing but a summer's breeze to you. You are indeed worthy of my power."

"Yes!" Lloyd and Genis celebrated.

"However...." The boys stopped. "However, I can only make a pact with one. Who shall speak their vow?"

"Shinji, it was your win. You deserve it." Sheena nudged him forward.

"But, Sheena!"

"But nothing, go ahead! This one is yours."

"But...it's just that...I don't know how to make a vow."

"That's easy. Just think of a goal that you will use her power to achieve. If she accepts it, she'll come whenever you request her help."

"Okay...I'll give it a shot." Shinji stepped forward. "I, Ikari Shinji, will make the pact."

"Then speak your vow." Celsius scoffed.

"To save my home world, and the worlds of my friends, I ask that you lend me your power."

"A noble vow. I accept. Use my power well." Celsius slowly disintegrated into a small jewel that floated into Shinji's hand, and he took it.

He turned to the others. "So that's it?"

"Yep, that's it. Congrats, Shinji. You've got yourself a Summon Spirit." Sheena hugged the boy.

"Hey, come on Sheena, you're embarrassing me."

"So, an Earthen Summoner? Things are going to be more interesting from now on." Lloyd grinned.

"Was this what I sensed when I first met you, Shinji?" Rei asked, not expecting an answer.

Raine looked him over. "Humans from Earth have great potential. Even your wounds have healed."

"I am...impressed." Presea said.

Collette smiled and applauded. "Wow, Shinji! You're just full of surprises aren't you?"

"I gotta admit. The twerp did good." Zelos nodded.

Asuka muttered. "Add another thing to the Invincible Shinji Ikari's résumé."

Obtained Sapphire.

Shinji learned T.Seal: Ice.

Shinji learned Summon: Ice.

At the edge of a city in the sky higher than the eye can see, a winged army had assembled. They stood at the drop off point as their blonde leader addressed them while flying over them. "This is the day we have all waited for! This is the day we shall strike back against those that despised us. Today, we declare war on the populous that shunned us!" The army cheered. "We shall strike them at the very heart of prejudice this day, and make the human and elven races shudder in fear! We will triumph! None can stand in your way on your own, but I shall lead you! That will ensure victory!" The cheering was even louder. "May your swords drip with blood."

"Glory to Lord Yggdrassil and the ascension of half-elves!" The army said in unison.

"Bring the weapon online!" Yggdrassil declaired. A large metal pillar with a large ball on top rose from the center of town. The ground the angel army stood on split in two, dividing the army. "Lock on target." The pillar twisted and tilted forward slightly before it locked into place. "Charge the weapon!" The metallic ball sparked with powerful mana. It began to glow and it sounded like chirping birds. "Ready! Aim!"

Shinji and the others slowly emerged from the cave to the snow outside. "So how do I exactly call upon Celsius, Sheena?" He had his hands behind his head as he walked.

"Well, whenever someone goes into Over Limit mode, they break open the gates that block off your power. Over Limit mode lets you access this power. Whenever I lapse into Over Limit, I can summon one of the Spirits as long as I have enough TP."

"So basically I have to get beaten up to use a Summon Spirit, great." He slumped.

"It's worth it." She patted him on the back. "I was really surprised that you could summon. I thought it was a learned art, not an inherited one."

"You weren't the only one surprised."

"Everyone, look out!" Lloyd cried as he drew his swords. Dozens of Ice Spiders, Ice Warriors, Feather Magics, and Penguinists headed straight for them.

"Wh...what are they doing? I've never seen so many before!" Asuka drew her blade.

"Be ready for anything." Regal bent his knees, loosening up for a fight.

"Wait!" Collette cried. "Don't make any move unless they attack first."

Most of the creatures moved around the group, but one Ice Warrior stopped an inch in front of Zelos. "Eeeeeee!" He said nervously as he leaned backwards. The creature stared at him with its one eye, quickly looked behind itself, and flicked its eye back to Zelos. Upon getting no reaction, it did the same thing to Raine, then Sheena, and finally Collette. Collette nodded and the creature stomped off into the cave, where its brothers had retreated. Zelos finally breathed easy. "What was that about?!"

"They're scared. Of what, I don't know. I saw it in its eye. It was trying to warn us." Collette spoke in a whisper.

"Why do mice jump from a ship that's about to sink?" Asuka commented.

"What?" Lloyd turned towards her.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Let's keep going, huh? I'm sure we can handle anything." She said as she turned on her heel towards the exit. The others shrugged and followed her.

"FIRE!" Yggdrassil pointed forward. The glowing metal ball pulsated, and then let out a gigantic bolt of white hot lightning to stream towards the planet below. "ALL TROOPS ATTACK!" He dove over the edge and the angel army took flight and followed him. "Leave nothing left standing! Burn it to a cinder!"

The group stopped and looked up when a bright flash brought their attention. They saw the lightning strike, and felt the ground shake a moment later. "What the hell?!" Asuka exclaimed.

"There's an incredible amount of Mana coming from that lightning." Genis was still awed.

Presea tugged on Rei's arm. "That's...in the vicinity of Ozette!"

"Lloyd, we should go there at once!" Rei understood the fear in the girl's voice. Ozette was one of the only places she ever knew.

Lloyd nodded. "Zelos, whip out the Rhieards."

Zelos pulled out the wing pack, and the 4 Rhieards emerged. They all boarded quickly and ascended.

Three fireballs launched from Yggdrassil's hand, setting fire to the village craftsman's hut. He laughed aloud as he did it again. "Burn discriminators!"

An angel with a big nose and a spear floated down next to him and saluted. "Lord Yggdrassil, four Rheiards have been spotted coming in this general direction."

"What are their cargos?"

"It appears to be eleven people."

"Eleven? Interesting. Give the order to pull out. We're finished here."

"Understood, Lord Yggdrassil." He left to spread the word.

The blonde angel rubbed his hands together. "Now the real work begins."

The crew rushed into the burning Ozette, aghast at the destruction. "This is horrible!" Sheena looked away.

"They had no warning. All of the dead...." Regal left the comment hang as he turned his head away.

"My...home...." Presea trembled.

Asuka squinted through the flames. "Collette! Do you see that!"

The girl concentrated her gaze. "Lloyd, there's someone in the main square!"

"If he or she is still alive, we don't have much time!" Raine spoke.

"Lloyd, grab on to me!" Shinji said as he pulled out his cards. The swordsman did so and Shinji raised a card to the sky. "Teleport Seal!" They appeared on next to a blonde boy lying passed out on his face from the heat. Shinji picked him up. "Hey, can you hear me? Hey!"

"Shinji, look out!" Lloyd cried. A flaming log fell inches from Shinji and the boy. Lloyd threw the boy over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here!"

They ran towards the others, but another log fell in their path. Shinji looked around. They were surrounded by fire. "We're trapped!"

(Author's Note:  Well, you have your answer.  Thanks to all that voted.  They'll search for the Devil's Arms.  But will they survive to collect another?  Find out next time.)


End file.
